Sloppy Bandits fall on road

Staff report | Friday, May 16, 2008

PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria capitalized on four first-inning Quad-City errors to post a 7-5 victory Monday.

Quad-Cities, which fell back to .500 at 17-17, got off to a quick start on Tommy Pham’s home run on the first pitch of the game.

The Chiefs answered in the bottom of the first.

Peoria loaded the bases on a walk, a bunt single, and an error. With one out, Marquez Smith hit a one-hopper to the mound, but River Bandits’ starter Chuckie Fick dropped the potential double-play ball and then threw wild at first, committing a pair of errors on the same play that allowed two runs to score. Peoria followed with three consecutive singles, including a two-run hit by Jovan Rosa and another run-scoring hit by Elvis Lara. A fourth error later in the inning allowed Peoria to take a 6-1 lead.

In the fifth, Quad-Cities stormed back. Luis De La Cruz started the rally with a leadoff single. And with one out, four consecutive batters hit safely. The first was Pham, who drove home De La Cruz with a single. Pete Kozma and Charlie Kingrey each singled, with Kingrey’s base hit scoring Pham from second. Andrew Brown followed with a double to drive home Kozma, while Matt Arburr’s RBI groundout pulled the River Bandits within 6-5.