Rattlers Rally Past Clinton

CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-3 behind some big hits from designated hitter Demi Orimoloye to defeat the Clinton LumberKings 6-4 on Thursday night at Ashford University Field. Orimoloye went 3-for-4 with three RBI and was missing only a double to complete the cycle.
Clinton (4-3) bashed their way to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Dimas Ojeda hit a three-run home run to with one out. The home run was the ninth of the season for Clinton as a team.

Orimoloye, who had singled in the second inning, got the Rattlers on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth by hitting a ball over the scoreboard. The Wisconsin DH's first home run of the season cleared everything in left-center.

Wisconsin (3-4) tied the game in the top of the fifth. Jay Feliciano's two-out, two-run double chased Joantgel Segovia and Payton Henry home to even the score 3-3.

Alec Bettinger, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth inning to give him nine strikeouts in the game. Bettinger's walked one before leaving the game.

The LumberKings went back in front in the bottom of the sixth inning against reliever Matt Hardy as a single, a hit batsman, and a fly to right put runners on the corners with one out. Greifer Andrade's blooper to center dropped in to allow the runner from third to score, but an alert play by centerfielder Zach Clark and shortstop Gilbert Lara led to a force play at second for the second out.

The Timber Rattlers came right back in the top of the seventh inning. Segovia singled with one out and Pat McInerney drew a walk to put the tying and lead runs on base. Orimoloye stepped in with two outs and hit a deep fly to right-center that was out of the reach of the LumberKing outfielders. Both runners scored as Orimoloye raced for third for a triple and a 5-4 Wisconsin lead.

Lara gave the Rattlers an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a lead-off, opposite-field home run to right. Lara's second homer of the season made it 6-4.

Orimoloye did get a chance to hit for the first cycle in Timber Rattlers history when he was at the plate in the top of the ninth inning, but he drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.

Gabe Fries pitched the final two innings in a scoreless fashion for the Rattlers to nail down his second save of the season.

The win allowed Wisconsin to claim a split in the four-game set at Ashford University Field. The Rattlers won on Monday night and Thursday night with the LumberKings winning the day games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Timber Rattlers move on to start a three-game series with the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park on Friday night. Nelson Hernández (1-0, 3.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Johan Oviedo (0-1, 135.00) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game via the Chiefs feed over the internet.