GRAND CHUTE, WI - Yeison Coca and Je'Von Ward didn't start Sunday's game for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. They were there at the end though and helped the Rattlers rally with four runs in the eighth inning to beat the Burlington Bees 5-4 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities
GRAND CHUTE, WI - Yeison Coca and Je'Von Ward didn't start Sunday's game for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. They were there at the end though and helped the Rattlers rally with four runs in the eighth inning to beat the Burlington Bees 5-4 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Ward had a pinch-hit, RBI single and Coca followed with a pinch-hit, two-run double that put the Rattlers ahead in the decisive inning.
Wisconsin (10-12) grabbed the lead in the first inning. Brice Turang reached on a lead-off single to extend his hitting streak to thirteen games. Chad McVey bunted Turang into scoring position. Then, David Fry smacked a single to center to score Turang.
The Bees (14-10) answered with four runs in the top of the second inning. The frame started with a bad-hop single off the bat of Nonie Williams. A walk, a strikeout, and a hit batsman to the next three batters loaded the bases with one out. Burlington tied the game on a fielder's choice when Michael Stefanic grounded into a force play at second.
Rattlers starting pitcher Aaron Ashby got himself into trouble when he walked the next batter to reload the bases. A walk to Jordyn Adams forced in the go-ahead run. Kevin Maitan was next and he lined a single to right to score two runs and the Bees were up 4-1.
Ashby struck out six, but walked five and had to leave as his pitch count reached 79 pitches through 2-2/3 innings.
Burlington starting pitcher Hector Yan struck out eight over five innings and turned that 4-1 lead over to his bullpen.
The Wisconsin bullpen kept the team in the game. Logan Gillaspie got the final out of the top of the third and worked a scoreless fourth and a scoreless fifth without allowing a hit. Justin Bullock took over in the top of the sixth and he pitched three scoreless innings.
Robinson Pina was the reliever for the Bees and he cruised through the sixth and seventh innings. The Rattlers made sure he had more trouble in the eighth as they took advantage of a crucial error.
Gabriel García was at the plate with one out and nobody on base when he hit a high popup to first. The ball glanced off the glove of first baseman Connor Fitzsimons after he fought the wind and the Sun to get under the popup. That was the way the comeback began for the Rattlers.
Chad McClanahan worked a walk on a 3-2 count and Kekai Rios blooped a single just in front of the diving attempt by right fielder Spencer Griffin. That loaded the bases.
Jesús Lujano drove in the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to get García home from third. Then, Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson turned to his bench.
Ward entered the game to pinch hit and he cracked a single to right to score McClanahan from second and bring the Rattlers to within a run.
Coca left Saturday's game early after taking a throw off his left leg during a stolen base attempt and was held out of Sunday's lineup. He was ready for when the call came. Coca ripped a double up the first baseline to score both Rios and Ward to put the Rattlers up 5-4.
Robbie Hitt worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a little help from stellar defensive plays by Turang and Coca to nail down the save.
Turang went 2-for-3 with two walks on Sunday. He is 20-for-49 (.408) during his 13-game hitting streak.
The comeback win allowed the Rattlers to take three games in the four-game series with the Bees.
The Timber Rattlers will be off on Monday. They will return to action on Tuesday when they start series with the Lansing Lugnuts at Cooley Law School Stadium. Max Lazar (1-0, 1.56) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Lugnuts will counter with Sean Wymer (1-0, 5.32). Game time is 5:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 4:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.
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