Rattlers Drop 8-5 Decision at Kane County

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a pair of early leads on the Kane County Cougars Saturday night at Northwestern Medicine Field. However, the Cougars reprised their familiar refrain of clutch two-out hits against the Rattlers and Kane County picked up an 8-5 win over Wisconsin.
The teams traded runs in the first inning. The Rattlers (31-37) struck first with two runs. Devin Hairston started the game with a triple. Pat McInerney followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Hairston. Demi Orimoloye was next and he drew a walk. Then, Payton Henry doubled to right to send Orimoloye home for a 2-0 lead.

The Cougars (34-34) tied the game in the bottom of the first on a two-out, two-run double by Ernie De La Trinidad.

Wisconsin went back in front in the top of the second. Tristen Lutz doubled and KJ Harrison singled to send Lutz to third. Trever Morrison hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Lutz and the Rattlers were up 3-2.

But, Kane County continued their trend of delivering a big two-out RBI hit in the series and it was the Cougar who has caused Wisconsin the most problems this season who did it in the second inning. Yoel Yanqui cracked a three-run double with two outs and Kane County had a 5-3 lead. Yanqui has 19 hits and 11 RBI in 12 games against Wisconsin this season.

KJ Harrison brought the Rattlers to within a run with a long home run to left with one out in the top of the fourth inning.

The Rattlers had Demi Orimoloye on third base with one out in the top of the fifth, but the Rattlers left him at third as the potential tying run.

The Cougars made the Rattlers pay by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth inning. Renae Martinez doubled in the first run. De La Trinidad send Martinez home with a single and the Cougars were up 7-4.
Jancarlos Cintron drilled a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Kane County an 8-4 lead. Six of Kane County's eight runs on Saturday and 13 of their 17 runs in the first two games of the series have been scored after there were two outs in an inning.

Wisconsin tried to rally in the ninth inning as Lutz doubled and Harrison singled to left to put runners on the corners with no outs. Morrison was next and he hit into a 4-6-3 double play to get Lutz home with the final run of the game. However, that left no one on base with two outs and the Cougars closed out the game by retiring the final batter of the game.

The Rattlers were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Saturday night, but neither hit drove in a run. Wisconsin is 4-for-36 with runners in scoring position during their current five-game losing streak.

The Cougars are 10-2 in twelve games versus the Rattlers this season
The final game of the first half is set for Sunday at Northwestern Medicine Field. Dylan File (5-3, 3.42) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Kane County has announced Brian Shaffer (2-5, 3.43) as their starter. Game time is 1:00pm.
The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 12:40pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game over the internet.