Relentless Rattlers Out-Pace Bandits in Series Opener

Appleton, Wisconsin – The Quad Cities River Bandits scored five runs over the first two innings on Tuesday, but couldn’t keep up with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, falling 9-5 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Despite the River Bandits’ early production, Wisconsin wasted no time erasing two early Quad Cities leads. Although Kale Emshoff and Carson Roccaforte gave the Bandits a 3-0 first-inning advantage with back-to-back RBI doubles, Jesus Chirinos would follow Tayden Hall’s RBI single with a three-run homer in the bottom half of the opening frame.

Quad Cities then tied the game and retook the lead in the second. Brett Squires drove in Dustin Dickerson on a single and as Terence Doston struggled to gather the ball, Jack Pienda came in to score as well, making it 5-4 Bandits.

In the very next half-inning, Jheremy Vargas took Bandits’ starter Hunter Owen deep with Wisconsin’s second homer, a game-tying solo shot, before Ramon Rodriguez struck for one of his own one inning later to put the Timber Rattlers up 6-5.

Rodriguez then came through again in the fourth with an RBI-double to give Wisconsin a two-run lead.

While both starters grinded their way into the fourth, both Owen and Wisconsin right-hander Mark Manfredi lasted just 3.2 innings and combined to allow 12 runs on 11 hits and seven walks.

A.J. Block recorded all three of Quad Cities’ strikeouts and kept the deficit at two over his 2.1 innings of relief, but the Rattlers got back into the run column against Cooper McKeehan, tagging the southpaw for two runs on RBI-doubles from Eduarqui Fernandez and Vargas in the seventh.

After scoring five runs in the first two innings, the Bandits were completely shut down by the combo of Chase Costello (1.1 IP), Brian Fitzpatrick (3.0 IP), and Bayden Root (1.0), as the bats recorded just four hits and struck out seven times over the final 5.1 innings.

Costello (2-2) was credited with the win as Manfredi’s immediate relief, while Owen (5-2) gave up season highs in walks (4), home runs (3), and runs (7) en route to his first loss since May 7. Fitzpatrick earned his first hold of the year with help from a game-high five strikeouts.

The River Bandits will look to even the series on Wednesday as they send Ben Kudrna (2-4, 3.72) to the mound opposite Wisconsin’s Tate Kuehner (2-1, 3.86). First pitch at Fox Cities Stadium is set for 12:10 p.m.