Coca's RBI Single in Ninth Gets Wisconsin Past Cedar Rapids

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers almost let one get away on Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning. Then, Yeison Coca knocked in the winning run with a two-out, RBI single for a 3-2 Timber Rattlers victory.

Wisconsin (59-61 overall, 28-23 second half) got on the scoreboard first with a pair of two-out, RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pablo Abreu started the inning with a walk. Leugim Castillo followed with a one-out single. Antonio Piñero grounded into a force play at second for the second out of the inning. Then, Je'Von Ward smacked a single through the middle of the diamond to score Abreu from third base for the 1-0 lead.

The Rattlers loaded the bases on a walk to Coca. Then, David Fry's infield single scored Ward for a 2-0 lead.

Justin Jarvis was the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers and he held Burlington to one hit over five innings. The only hit for the Bees against Jarvis was a two-out, bloop single to left by Daniel Ozoria. Jarvis walked four, hit a batter, and struck out five over his five scoreless innings.

Max Lazar took over for Jarvis in the sixth inning and retired the first seven batters he faced before giving up a one-out, infield single to Ozoria. Lazar issued a walk to put two runners on base, but struck out Gabe Snyder for the second out. Wander Javier was next and he punched a grounder through the right side of the infield to score Ozoria.

The Kernels (68-53, 29-22) tied the game in the top of the ninth. Lazar got the first out of the inning with a strikeout. Spencer Steer followed with a sinking line drive to center. Abreu attempted to make a diving catch, but the ball dropped in and skipped past him to the warning track. Steer was on third base by the time the Rattlers could get the ball back to the infield. Trevor Casanova drove the next pitch to center deep enough to score Steer on a sacrifice fly.

Castillo started the game-winning rally in the bottom of the ninth by drawing a four-pitch walk. It was his third time on base on Wednesday night. Piñero bunted Castillo into scoring position. Ward hit a hard grounder to right, but it was picked by Snyder with a quick backhand for the out at first as Castillo took third base. That brought Coca to the plate.

Coca hit a grounder to right. Second baseman Yunior Severino made a diving stop, but could not get to his feet. He threw to first from a prone positon, but couldn't get enough on the throw and Coca reached first with the infield single as Castillo crossed the plate with the winning run.
In the second half Western Division Wild Card race, the Rattlers could not pick up ground on the Clinton LumberKings. The Wild Card leaders beat Burlington 7-1 at home. That leave the Rattlers three games out of the Wild Card spot with eighteen games left in the season.
Game two of the series is Thursday night. Luis Contreras (1-1, 2.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cedar Rapids has named Luis Rijo (4-7, 2.84) as their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
Thursday is the final Los Cascabeles Night of the season with DiGiorno Pizza, HOLA Wisconsin, and Casa Hispana. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear their Cascabeles jerseys for the final time. There will be an online auction and you may bid on your favorite player's jersey by following this link. The auction ends at 9:00pm CDT on Thursday night. 

The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a bobblehead of former Timber Rattler and current Milwaukee Brewer Freddy Peralta from Ripon College. 

Everyone to attend this game may enjoy Cher-Make brats and those of legal drinking age may have a variety of craft brews for $2 as part of a Craft Brews & Brats Night presented by Fox River Brewing Company and 105.7 WAPL.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark on Wednesday night, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.