Davenport, Iowa – Luke Pelzer’s sixth-inning grand slam highlighted the Quad Cities River Bandits’ (38-40, 8-7) 14-hit frenzy and fifth-straight victory, as they cruised to a 14-4 win against the Peoria Chiefs (38-43, 6-9) to open the six-game series at Modern Woodmen Park.
Before the Bandits offensive explosion, the Chiefs got on the board first in the opening inning against Quad Cities’ left-hander David Shields, as Jalin Flores struck an RBI-single. Two batters later, Flores scored thanks to Michael Dattalo’s sacrifice-fly, lifting Peoria ahead 2-0.
The River Bandits responded in the bottom of the first inning when Ramon Ramirez’s RBI-double to right field allowed Asbel Gonzalez to score from second and trim Quad Cities’ deficit to 2-1.
After conceding three hits in the first inning, Shields faced the minimum in the second, followed by back-to-back perfect innings in the third and fourth.
Peoria starter Yhoiker Fajardo walked in the River Bandits’ game-tying run in the third inning after a six-pitch at-bat against Luke Pelzer, with Nolan Sailors making the effortless jaunt home. Quad Cities had a chance to take the lead with bases remaining loaded after Pelzer’s walk, but were unable to capitalize.
Shields continued his start into fifth inning where he upped his strikeout total to seven. The Chiefs nearly regained the lead, as Christian Martin placed a hit into center field, however Asbel Gonzalez delivered a rope to catcher Blake Mitchell who applied a tag on home-bound Sammy Hernandez to end the inning.
Quad Cities took the lead 3-2 in the fifth inning, as an RBI-fielder’s choice from Pelzer let Sailors score from third for his second run of the night.
Shields’ night on the mound concluded after 5.0 innings. The 19-year-old finished with seven strikeouts while allowing six hits and only one earned run. The start marked the Shields’ fifth-straight with seven or more punchouts.
The River Bandits ballooned their lead with a six-hit, seven-run sixth inning. First, Jose Cerice found the right-center gap and plated Tyriq Kemp with an RBI-triple. One batter later, Angel Acosta placed an RBI-single to left field to bring home Cerice. Ramirez joined in with an RBI-single of his own into left field with the bases loaded, as Acosta scored to set Quad Cities’ lead 6-2.
Luke Pelzer then put the Bandits up eight, blasting his fourth home run and first grand slam of the season over the right field wall to give Quad Cities a 10-2 lead. The six-RBI effort was the first of Pelzer’s career.
Quad Cities continued its assault into the seventh inning, starting with Gonzalez’s RBI-single, which allowed Cerice to score the team’s 11th unanswered run of the night. Later in the inning, Blake Mitchell blasted a three-run shot, his 14th of the season, over the left field wall and onto the berm to increase the River Bandits’ lead, 14-2.
Following Aiden Jimenez’s scoreless 2.0-inning performance in immediate relief of Shields, Peoria tallied its first run since the first inning against Ryan Quad Cities’ left-hander Ryan Ure, as Jack Gurevitch grounded an RBI-single past River Bandits’ first baseman Derlin Figueroa to bring home Luis Pino. Two batters later, Jose Suarez knocked another RBI-single into left field, which scored Gurevitch from second to scratch at Quad Cities’ lead, 14-4.
Kamden Edge relieved Ure with one out in the eighth and ended the Chiefs’ rally with back-to-back inning-ending strikeouts.
Cory Ronan closed out the top of the ninth for the River Bandits, allowing only one hit while retiring three of his four batters faced to seal the win.
Shields (7-4) earned the win for Quad Cities, while Salas (3-3) took the loss for Peoria after allowing the Bandits to take the lead in the fifth inning.
The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park tomorrow night for game two of the six-game series against Peoria with first pitched scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Royals’ top prospect Kendry Chourio (1-1, 3.78) is slated to lead Quad Cities on the mound opposite Peoria’s Nate Dohm (1-4, 7.47).