River Bandits Strike out 17, Blank South Bend in Series-Opener

South Bend, Indiana – The Quad Cities River Bandits struck out a season-high 17 Cubs hitters en route to their High-A-best 12th shutout win Tuesday, as they quieted the South Bend Cubs 2-0 at Four Winds Field.

Though the Bandits held their opposition to just three hits for a second-straight ballgame, the shutout victory did not come without traffic, as Quad Cities had to navigate around 10 walks and strand a total of 10 Cubs on base.

While Royals’ No. 18 Luinder Avila set the tone for the effort and completed his second rehab start with 2.0 innings and a pair of strikeouts, Nolan Sailors drove in Quad Cities’ only run against Cubs’ starter Connor Schultz, plating Derlin Figueroa with an RBI-fielder’s choice in the second.

Schultz (1-4) totaled five strikeouts over his 6.0-inning, one-run quality start, but wound up on the hook for his fourth loss of the season.

Andrew Morones (2-2) followed Avila and set a pair of new career highs, completing 3.0 innings and striking out five while working around three walks.

After Jacob Widener (3) and Tommy Molsky (6) earned holds, tossing a scoreless frame each, Trevor Werner extended Quad Cities’ lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice-fly against Cole Reynolds in the eighth.

Zachary Cawyer then made quick work of the Cubs in the eighth and the ninth, using the strikeout to collect all but one of the six-straight outs he recorded to close out his seventh save of the year.

Quad Cities returns to Four Winds Field for game two of the six-game set tomorrow afternoon and sends Nicholas Regalado (2-1, 4.07) to the mound opposite South Bends’ Erian Rodriguez (4-3, 3.13). First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m. ET.