DAVENPORT, IA – The Quad Cities River Bandits got some key hits early and took advantage of uncharacteristic wildness from Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitching to post a 9-3 win on Thursday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Spencer Nivens was a triple shy of the cycle, scored three runs, and knocked in two to lead the Bandits to the victory.
Nivens gave the River Bandits (50-54 overall, 20-19 second half) the lead with a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Quad Cities added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning. Nivens and Carson Roccaforte reached to start the frame. Wisconsin starting pitcher Brian Fitzpatrick retired the next two batters on strikeouts. However, Justin Johnson blooped a single to center with two away to knock in Nivens.
Roccaforte hit a solo homer with one out in the fifth inning against reliever Yerlin Rodriguez for a 3-0 lead. Roccaforte has hit four of his seven home runs this season against Wisconsin pitchers.
The Timber Rattlers (65-39, 23-15) managed three runners on a single and two walks over the first five innings against River Bandits starting pitcher Ethan Bosacker. They would get to him in the sixth to pull to within a run.
Jheremy Vargas and Jose Acosta singled to start the frame. Luis Lara grounded into a force play at second to put runners at the corners. Lara would steal second to get into scoring position. Cooper Pratt drove Vargas home and sent Lara to third with a deep fly to center. Luke Adams followed with a single to left to score Lara and the Rattlers trailed by one run.
Rodriguez lost the strike zone in the bottom of the sixth and it would cost him. He would walk four and throw three wild pitches in the inning. A wild pitch allowed Johnson to score the first run of the inning. A sacrifice fly by Nivens gave the River Bandits a 5-2 lead.
Eduardo Garcia gave Wisconsin a spark with a solo home run in the top of the seventh. The homer was Garcia’s second of the season with the Rattlers.
The River Bandits pulled away with late insurance runs. Deivis Nadal doubled home a run with two outs in the seventh against Bayden Root. In the bottom of the eighth, Root gave up a lead-off double to Nivens, who would eventually score on a wild pitch. An error and a two-out walk would extend the inning to chase Root from the game. Aaron Rund, the fourth Wisconsin pitcher of the night, appeared to get out of the inning, but a wild throw on what should have been the final out allowed two more runs to score and the Rattlers were down 9-3.
Wisconsin was retired in order in the top of the ninth to suffer their third straight loss. This is just the third three-game losing streak of the season for Wisconsin.
Timber Rattlers pitcher walked ten in the game. It marks the second time they have walked ten in a game in 2024. The previous time was a 10-1 loss to Quad Cities at home on June 7.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Will Rudy (3-7, 4.86) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Frank Mozzicato (5-9, 3.24) has been announced as the starting pitcher for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:30pm CDT.
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