GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Quad Cities River Bandits quick start in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field set the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers back on their heels and on the path to an 11-5 loss.
The River Bandits (12-8) grabbed the lead in the top of the first inning on four walks and one hit. Wisconsin starting pitcher Bryce Meccage walked three straight batters with one out. He got the second out before walking Austin Charles on a 3-2 pitch to force in the first run. Then, Derlin Figueroa cleared the bases with a double for a 4-0 lead.
Quad Cities poured on the offense in the second inning as they launched four home runs and scored six runs. Tyriq Kemp started the inning with a homer. Meccage left the game with two on and one out in favor of Bryan Rivera, who gave up a three-run home run to Ramon Ramirez. Rivera got the second out of the inning but allowed back-to-back home runs to Austin Charles and Figueroa.
Charles tripled with two outs in the top of the fourth and scored on a wild pitch. Charles reached base three times and scored three runs.
Wisconsin (13-8) had three runners on base with two outs for Juan Baez, who drew the fourth walk of the frame from Bandits starting pitcher Mason Miller.
Andrew Fischer launched his fifth home run of the season with two outs and none on in the bottom of the fifth for Wisconsin. That started a streak of four straight hits for the Rattlers with Daniel Dickinson knocking in the second run of the frame with a single.
Fischer reached base for the fourth time in the game with a lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh. Eric Bitonti cracked a one-out home run to center, his third homer of the season, to drive in Fischer for the final two runs of the game.