Brito Homers in Loons’ Rout of Bandits

Davenport, Iowa – River Bandits’ first baseman Chris Brito struck for his third home run of the season Friday, but Quad Cities yielded a season-high run total in a 12-3 loss to the Great Lakes Loons at Modern Woodmen Park.

Great Lakes pulled ahead early and often against spot-starter Andrew Morones, who faced all nine Loons hitters in the first inning, but failed to complete the frame, as RBI-singles from Elijah Hainline and Jordan Thompson followed Jake Gelof’s two-run double to give Great Lakes a 4-0 lead two outs into the game.

After Jacob Widener helped Morones complete the first inning, the left-hander returned for the second and was tagged for a pair of runs of his own, as Hainline struck for another RBI-knock that plated Logan Wagner and Gelof for a 6-0 Loons’ lead.

Brito broke Quad Cities into the run column in the bottom of the second, taking Loons starter Adam Serwinowski over right-center field for a solo shot, his third of the season.

Hunter Ensley cut the Bandits’ deficit to four in the fourth, plating Blake Mitchell on a ground ball to make it 6-2.

The tally followed a scoreless inning of relief from Quad Cities’ Hunter Alberini, who struck out Gelof as part of his first professional appearance, but the newcomer would not evade the Loons’ onslaught and was dinged for an RBI-single off Thompson’s bat in the top of the fifth.

Royals’ top prospect Blake Mitchell got the run back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI-single, his second hit of the game, which was the final run allowed by Serwinowski, who handed the ball to Evan Shaw for the sixth.

Zyhir Hope helped cushion the left-hander’s lead, extending Great Lakes’ edge to 8-3 on a 435-foot solo shot off Juan Martinez. Quad Cities’ reliever bounded back by striking out the side in a scoreless top of the seventh.

While Shaw kept the Bandits out of the run column over his two innings, Great Lakes added insult to injury in the top of the eighth, plating a run on an error before Hainline smacked a three-run home run against Jesus Rios, capping off a 12-3 Loons’ lead and a six-RBI performance.

Alex Makarewich and Cam Day each completed a scoreless inning to close out the game on the mound for Great Lakes, cementing their club’s third consecutive win against Quad Cities.

Serwinowski (4-7) struck out five and earned his third win in four starts for the Loons, while Morones (2-5) was saddled with the loss in his first professional start, allowing four runs (two earned) over 0.2 innings.

The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park for game five of the six-game set tomorrow night and send Felix Arronde (4-7, 2.69) to the mound against Great Lakes’ Aiden Foeller (0-0, 40.50). First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.