Arronde’s Gem Leads Bandits’ Shutout Effort

Appleton, Wisconsin – Royals’ No. 13 prospect Felix Arronde tossed a career-high 7.0-scoreless innings to help pace the River Bandits to their Midwest League-best 14th shutout win of the season, as Quad Cities blanked the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 5-0 at Neuroscience Group Field.

While Arronde retired 12 of the first 13 Rattlers hitters he faced, Quad Cities generated early two-out run support for their starter, taking a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first on Chris Brio’s RBI-double, before extending the lead to 2-0 with two outs in the second on an RBI-single from Erick Torres.

Wisconsin starter Bishop Letson worked just one out into the third before handing the ball to Jeferson Figueroa, who Austin Charles tagged for a run in the fourth with his second home run of the series.

Torres pushed the Bandits ahead 4-0 in the sixth against Sam Garcia, grounding a double down the right-field line to plate Charles, before Brito launched a solo shot to center field in the seventh—his fourth of the season and his second in as many series—for a 5-0 advantage.

After securing his third quality start of the season and throwing 65 of 92 total pitches for a strike, Arronde handed the reins to Max Martin, who picked up his first professional strikeout in a scoreless eighth, before Juan Martienz closed out the game with a one-two-three ninth.

Arronde (5-7) earned his fifth win of the season in the effort, while Letson (2-2) was saddled with the loss for Wisconsin, allowing two runs over 2.1 innings.

The River Bandits return to Neuroscience Group Field for game five of the six-game set tomorrow night and send Royals’ No. 10 prospect Drew Beam (6-10, 3.87) to the mound against Wisconsin’s Travis Smith (1-1, 2.55). First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.