CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied from 4-0 hole to tie the Clinton LumberKings late Thursday night at Ashford University Field. However, the LumberKings scored a run in the bottom of the tenth for a 5-4 win in game one of the three-game series.Demetrius Sims put the LumberKings
CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied from 4-0 hole to tie the Clinton LumberKings late Thursday night at Ashford University Field. However, the LumberKings scored a run in the bottom of the tenth for a 5-4 win in game one of the three-game series.
Demetrius Sims put the LumberKings (7-6) up 1-0 with a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first.
Rattler starting pitcher Max Lazar retired nine of the next ten batters he faced in the game, but gave up back-to-back doubles with one out in the fourth to Will Banfield and Sean Reynolds that put Clinton up 2-0.
Lazar pitched 3-2/3 innings and struck out eight, but left the game with a 2-0 deficit.
That deficit grew in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ricardo Cespedes cracked the first pitch he saw from Reese Olson over the wall in right for a lead-off homer and a 3-0 lead.
The Timber Rattlers (6-7) had chances early in the game. The left a runner in scoring position in the first, could not score despite having the bases loaded with one out in the second, and stranded two more runners in the third.
Sims hit his second home run of the night when he took Olson deep to center with two outs in the seventh and Clinton was up 4-0. That turned out to be a big run.
Wisconsin's offense got going in the top of the ninth. David Fry reached on an error to start the inning. Chad McClanahan followed with a single. Gabriel García put the Rattlers on the scoreboard with a double to center to score both Fry and McClanahan. Je'Von Ward was next and he doubled to get García home and pull the Rattlers to within a run. Kekai Rios followed with a sharp single to left, but the ball was hit too hard for Ward to try to score. That still left the Rattlers with runners at the corners with no outs.
However, Clinton escaped the jam with a strikeout and an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to stay up 4-3.
In the top of the ninth inning, Brice Turang reached on an error and Coca beat the throw to first on a bunt attempt. McClanahan reached on a one-out, infield single and the bases were loaded. García tied the game with a check-swing roller down the third base line and the ball just stayed fair to score Turang from third to tie the game. However, the next two batters struck out to leave the bases loaded.
Wisconsin could not score in the top of the tenth. Pinch-runner Connor McVey started the inning at second base and was caught in a rundown for the second out on a grounder back to the mound off the bat of Piñero. He managed to stay in the rundown long enough to allow Piñero to take second. Turang was next and he reached on an infield single. However, Piñero rounded third base too far and was caught in a rundown and was tagged out between third and home for the final out.
In the bottom of the tenth, a passed ball let Cespedes take third base with no outs. Reliever Robbie Hitt got the first out with a strikeout. Then, Wisconsin decided to walk Sims and Jerar Encarnacion to load the bases for Banfield, who entered the game 2-for-31 on the season. The Rattlers also brought right-fielder Chad McClanahan to the infield to set up a five-infielder defense.
Banfield foiled the strategy by hitting a deep fly to right field that fell in safely for a single and a walk-off, 5-4 win for the LumberKings.
Wisconsin missed several opportunities in the game as they stranded thirteen runners and went 5-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
The second game of the series is set for Friday night at Ashford University Field. Adam Hill (1-0, 2.45) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Clinton has named Peyton Culbertson (0-0, 3.86) as their starter. Game time is 6:30pm. The broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:10pm.
