Two-Out Runs Elevate Bandits Over Birds 

Beloit, Wisconsin – The Quad Cities River Bandits drove in eight two-out runs on Saturday, as they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium.

In addition to the two-out production, Quad Cities recorded five hits with runners in scoring position and launched a season-high three home runs—all in two-strike counts.

Brett Squires and Kale Emshoff dominated the first half of the ballgame and accounted for the first five Bandits runs. In the third, the duo erased a 1-0 deficit with two swings, as Squires doubled in Carson Roccaforte to tie the game and then scored on an Emsoff single.

Squires would tag Beloit starter Ike Buxton again in the fifth and knock the right-hander out of the game with a two-run home run for a 4-1 lead and his fourth homer of the year. Then, Emshoff greeted Buxton’s replacement, Jared Poland, with a long-ball of his own—the designated hitter’s first. The two dingers marked Quad Cities’ second set of back-to-back blasts in the series.

Squires finished the ballgame 3-for-3 with two walks and came just a triple shy of the cycle, while Emshoff picked up his third multi-RBI game of the season.

In the eighth, after Beloit cut Quad Cities’ advantage to 5-3 three innings earlier, Justin Johnson extended the River Bandits’ lead back to four with a two-strike, two-out, two-run single off Kyle Crigger. Beloit would then respond in the bottom half with Chase Luttrell’s two-run homer, but in the ninth, a solo shot off the bat of Deivis Nadal—his first of the year—and a two-out, two-strike RBI single from Dustin Dickerson put Quad Cities up by their final four-run lead of the night, 9-5.

On the mound, Quad Cities’ starter Henry Williams came one out shy of his second win of the year, allowing three runs (two earned) over 4.2 innings. His replacement, A.J. Block, allowed an inherited run to score with a bases loaded walk in the fifth, but the left-hander would earn the win after 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Cooper McKeehan allowed Luttrell’s two-run homer in the eighth, but earned his second hold of the season, while Brandon Johnson extended his scoreless inning streak to 12.0 innings with three strikeouts as part of a four-out save—the closer’s second of 2024.

Buxton (0-3) took the loss for Beloit, allowing four runs on five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over 4.2 innings.

The River Bandits will look to split their six-game series on Sunday afternoon behind starter Shane Panzini (1-0, 5.68). Beloit will counter with Alex Williams (1-1, 9.00). First pitch for the series finale and the final game of Quad Cities’ two-week road trip is set for 1:05 p.m. at ABC Supply Stadium.