Snappers Take Down Timber Rattlers in Eleven

BELOIT, WI – The Beloit Snappers are moving to ABC Supply Stadium on August 3 and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers can’t wait for Pohlman Field to close. The Rattlers lost 5-4 in eleven innings to the Snappers on Thursday night in another heart-wrenching loss at the home of the Snappers since 1982. In this game, the Rattlers had a 2-1 lead with two outs and none on in the bottom of the eighth, only to fall behind, stage a two-out rally of their own in the top of the ninth, strand three Snappers in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings, and strand three more Snappers in the bottom of the tenth before the walk on the high wire came to an end in the bottom of the eleventh.

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Korry Howell gave the Rattlers (23-27) a 1-0 lead with a home run to right-center in the top of the first. Howell’s homer, his ninth of the season, came with one out.

Wisconsin added to their lead in the top of the second. LG Castillo doubled and Carlos Rodríguez singled to put runners on the corners. Nick Kahle drove in Castillo with a sacrifice fly and Wisconsin was up 2-0.

The Snappers (25-26) got on the scoreboard with an unearned run in the bottom of the third. Ricky Aracena reached on an error, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error on the play. Connor Scott drove in Aracena with a single. Wisconsin starting pitcher Reese Olson walked the next batter, but retired the final two hitters of the inning to strand two runners and keep Wisconsin up 2-1.

The starting pitchers took charge of the game through the middle innings. Beloit starter Kyle Nicolas retired fifteen in a row from the single by Rodríguez until he walked Hayden Cantrelle to start the seventh inning. Olson didn’t allow another hit after the walk in the third inning as he retired eight in a row until issuing another walk in the bottom of the sixth. Olson erased that walk by getting a double play ball before leaving the game.

Olson allowed one unearned on two hits with five strikeouts over 5-2/3 innings. Nicolas allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts over six innings. Neither would be involved in the decision.

Cristían Sierra, the third Wisconsin pitcher of the night, entered the game to start the eighth inning and retired the first two batters he faced. However, he walked the next two batters to bring Griffin Conine to the plate. Conine hit a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer and the Snappers had a 4-2 lead. Conine, who has homered in four straight games, has sixteen home runs this season.

The Timber Rattlers didn’t go down easily. Beloit reliever Zach Wolf retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the ninth before walking Hayden Cantrelle on a 3-2 pitch. Castillo followed with a single to extend the game. Rodríguez was next and he singled to score Cantrelle. Kahle stepped to the plate and singled to right to score Castillo with the tying run and the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied 4-4.

Sierra left the game with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth in favor of Arman Sabouri. The Wisconsin left-hander gave up an infield single to Scott, but struck out Kameron Misner to send the game into extra innings.

The Rattlers failed to score in the top of the tenth. Then, the Snappers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the tenth. A grounder for the first out sent Misner, who had been placed at second to start the inning, to third with the winning run. Wisconsin elected to walk Conine, but a walk to Will Banfield on a 3-2 pitch put a Snapper on every base. Sabouri escaped as he struck out the next two batters – one looking and one swinging – at 3-2 pitches to send the game to the eleventh.

Wisconsin had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the eleventh, but couldn’t push a run across the plate. This time it would come back to haunt them.

Scott, who scored the winning run in the tenth inning on Wednesday night for the Snappers, stepped to the plate with runners at the corners, one out, and Wisconsin’s defense in a five-infielder/two-outfielder alignment. Scott hit a 1-1 pitch to the warning track for an RBI single and the Snappers celebrated their second straight extra-innings, walkoff win over the Timber Rattlers.

Game four of the series is Friday night at Pohlman Field. Carlos Luna (1-0, 0.51) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Zach King (1-6, 6.80) has been named the starting pitcher for the Snappers. Game time is 6:35pm. Catch the action on AM 1280 WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. The game is also available on internet audio.