Kernels Edge Rattlers 4-3 to Take Series

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Cedar Rapids Kernels jumped to a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers stranded eleven runners on base in the game.
The Kernels (9-10) scored twice in the top of the first inning. Gabriel Maciel singled on the first pitch of the game. Gabe Snyder followed with a triple to right-center to score Maciel. Wisconsin starting pitcher Reese Olson would strike out Trey Cabbage, but a wild pitch on strike three let Snyder score and Cabbage to reach first base.

Cabbage added to the Cedar Rapids lead with an RBI ground out in the top of the third.

Hunter Lee made the score 4-0 in favor of the Kernels with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.

Wisconsin (7-11) got their first three hits of the game and scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to pull to within 4-2. Gabriel García walked with two outs against Kernels starter Luis Rios. Brice Turang followed with a double to left to give Wisconsin their first hit of the game. The hit also extended Turang's current hitting streak to ten games.

Yeison Coca put the Rattlers on the scoreboard with a single to left to score García and that drove Rijo out of the game. 

David Fry welcomed reliever Jacob Blank to the game with an RBI single to score Turang and the Rattlers were trailing 4-2. A walk to Chad McClanahan loaded the bases for Wisconsin, but Blank escaped with no more damage by getting a strikeout.

Turang and Fry conspired to bring the Rattlers closer in the bottom of the seventh against Tyler Palm. Turang, who had extended his hitting streak to nine games with his double in the fifth, doubled again in the seventh. Fry drove in Turang with a one-out double and the Rattlers were down by one run.

The Rattlers loaded the bases against Palm in the ninth inning on a pair of singles and a walk. Coca hit a chopper to first and was ruled out on a very close play at first on a 3-1 grounder.

Wisconsin couldn't manage a base runner in the bottom of the ninth as Derek Molina retired the side in order to record the save.

Cedar Rapids took two of the three games in the series. The Rattlers are now 0-6 in games decided by a single run this season.
The Timber Rattlers continue their homestand on Thursday night when they start a series against the Burlington Bees at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Adam Hill (1-1, 4.76) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Bees are set to start Jake Lee (1-0, 3.27). Game time is 6:35pm.

We are turning back the clock to our very first season for this game! Box seat tickets are $5, reserved bleacher seat tickets are $4, and grass seats are $3. Plus popcorn and cotton candy are just $1. The first 500 fans to attend this game will receive a Timber Rattlers baseball hat with the original "W" logo from 1995. Enjoy Cher-Make brats and a variety of craft brews for $2 courtesy of Fox River Brewing Company.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the Timber Rattlers. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:15pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.

[Empty Body]