Wisconsin Ends Road Trip with Close Loss to Loons

MIDLAND, MI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers wrapped up an eleven-game road trip with a 3-2 loss to the surging Great Lakes Loons on Sunday at Dow Diamond. The Timber Rattlers went 3-8 on the two-week trip to Beloit and Great Lakes. The Loons have won ten of their last eleven games to put pressure on the Eastern Division leading Dayton Dragons.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

Great Lakes (38-25) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning. They loaded the bases on a walk, an infield single, and a hit batsman. Imanol Vargas drew a walk to force in a run and the Loons were up 1-0. Great Lakes scored a run in the first inning in five of the six games in the series.

Wisconsin (34-28) tied the game in the top of the third. Arbert Cipion tripled to start the inning. Ethan Murray drove in Cipion with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

The Rattlers took the lead in the top of the fifth. Tristan Peters drew a walk with one out and Wes Clarke, who had three hits on Sunday, followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Joe Gray Jr was next, and he sent a grounder to third. The throw to second to start the potential double play was wild and wound up in right field. Peters scored and the Rattlers had the lead. Wisconsin would load the bases with one out but did not push across another run in the inning. Robbie Peto took over on the mound for the Loons and got a strikeout and a deep flyout to strand three Wisconsin runners.

Former Timber Rattler Kekai Rios hit the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth for a home run for the Loons and the game was tied.

Antoine Kelly, the Rattlers starting pitcher, retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth, but walked Vargas to extend the inning to Jonny DeLuca, the Loons leader in RBI. Vargas took second on a wild pitch and stole third while DeLuca worked the count full. DeLuca lined the 3-2 pitch to left for a double to score Vargas and the Loons had the lead.

Kelly allowed three runs on four hits with four walks, a hit batsman, and six strikeouts over 5-2/3 innings.

Peto pitched a perfect seventh and a perfect eighth. He went back out for the ninth and got the first out before walking Tristan Peters to put the tying run aboard. The walk was the fourth of the game for Peters. Peto got the second out of the inning before the Loons went to the bullpen and called on Ryan Sublette.

Sublette got the final out on a flyout to center for his fifth save of the season.

Wisconsin stranded twelve runners in the game and went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the game.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday when they start a series against the Quad Cities River Bandits at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Ryne Moore (2-4, 6.99) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Game time is 6:40pm.

Celebrate Pride Night at the ballpark on Tuesday. This is also a Bang for Your Buck Night with NEW Manufacturing Alliance and Y100. All fans may enjoy Cher-Make hotdogs and 16-ounce Pepsi Products for $2. Those of legal drinking age may purchase 16-ounce domestic beers for $2.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio is set to start with the pregame show at 6:20pm. The game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.tv.