The Quad Cities River Bandits scored two unearned runs in the top of the second inning and held on for a 2-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in game two of Wednesday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
The Timber Rattlers (26-29) jumped to a lead and inflated River Bandits starter AJ Block’s pitch count in the first inning. David Hamilton reached on an infield single to start the frame. Hayden Cantrelle was next and he drew a walk to end a thirteen-pitch sequence. Thomas Dillard drove in Hamilton with a single and the Rattlers were up 1-0. Block finished the first inning 33 pitches.
Quad Cities (36-18) took the lead – with a little help from the Wisconsin defense – in the top of the second inning. Eric Cole was at first with one out. John Rave hit a grounder to first and Dillard threw wildly to second for an error that allowed Cole to take third base. William Hancock was next and he hit a hard grounder to Cantrelle at second that was misplayed to let Cole score the tying run and send Rave around to third base. Tucker Bradley knocked in Rave with a sacrifice fly and the River Bandits were up 2-1.
Block settled down after the first inning and retired twelve batters in a row until walking Chad McClanahan with two outs in the fifth inning. Block got the final out of the fifth and turned the lead over to his bullpen in the bottom of the sixth. Block ended his night with 86 pitches.
Peyton Gray worked around a lead-off walk in the bottom of the sixth and went back out for the bottom of the seventh. LG Castillo reached on a one-out single in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to twelve games, but Gray got the next two batters on strikeouts to get the split in the twinbill of the River Bandits and the save for himself.
Victor Castañeda took the tough-luck loss. He allowed two hits, struck out six, and gave up two unearned runs over five innings as the Wisconsin starting pitcher.
Game three of the series is Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Carlos Luna (1-0, 0.76) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The River Bandits have named Asa Lacy (2-4, 4.83) as their starter. Game time is 7:05pm.
Thursday night is Military Appreciation Night. Active duty and retired Military personnel receive a free reserved bleacher seat ticket with a Military ID or proof of service. The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a military-themed Timber Rattlers baseball cap from Sure-Dry Basement Systems.
Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear Military-themed jerseys during the game for the first of two times this season. These jerseys will be auctioned later this season.
