Peoria, Illinois – For the second-straight year, the Quad Cities River Bandits (70-57, 40-24) finished the regular season with at least 70 wins and defeated the Peoria Chiefs (63-68, 31-34) 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Dozer Park.
While Quad Cities managed just two total hits after the third inning, a Chiefs error and a Blake Mitchell sacrifice-fly put the Bandits up 2-0 in the opening frame. Asbel Gonzalez helped set up his club’s first run with his 66th and 67th stolen bases, tying Roger Minor for the second-most in River Bandits’ single-season history.
River Bandits’ starter Blake Wolters only allowed two runs over his 4.2-inning start, with both coming in the form or Yordalin Pena solo shots. The centerfielder took Wolters deep in the third and fifth to tie the game 2-2.
Jordan Woods relieved Wolters for the final out of the fifth and carried the game to the ninth, allowing just one single and striking out five. Over his final six outings of the season, the left-hander posted a 1.96 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.
Chiefs’ starter Cade Crossland retired 14 of the final 15 River Bandits hitters he faced to close-out his 6.0-inning start and was followed by Liam Best who tossed a perfect seventh.
The River Bandits broke though courtesy of Gonzalez and Mitchell again, with Gonzalez’s two-out single off Dylan Driessen snapping a string of 15-straight Quad Cities outs. After a throwing error on a pickoff attempt allowed Gonzalez to third, Mitchell lined the go-ahead RBI-single into left field for a 3-2 River Bandits’ advantage.
Following Woods’ perfect eighth, Jackson Cleveland took the mound for the ninth. The right-hander allowed a one-out double to Tristan Bissetta, but sat down both Pena and Jose Suarez to secure Quad Cities’ win and his first professional save.
Woods (1-2) earned his first High-A win in the finale, while Driessen (2-3) was saddled with the loss, allowing one unearned run on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
The River Bandits return to action for playoff baseball next week, as Quad Cities hosts the South Bend Cubs for Game One of the West Division Championship Series on Tuesday, September 8. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Modern Woodmen Park.