Bees Sting Rattlers in Extra Innings

BURLINGTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers dropped a 5-4 decision to the Burlington Bees on Thursday night at Community Field. Jordyn Adams was the key for the Bees as he drove in two runs in the game, the tying run in the fifth and the game-winner in the tenth.
Wisconsin (17-20) had a chance to go in front early. They loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second inning, but could not score. Wisconsin would strand eight runners in the game and go 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

The Bees (24-16) grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of solo home run. Spencer Griffin hit his in the bottom of the second inning with one out. Justin Jones went deep with a lead-off blast in the third.

The Rattlers rallied to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning. Chad McClanahan walked to start the inning, but he was still at first with two outs. Antonio Piñero kept the inning alive with a single to center. McClanahan took third on the hit and Piñero advanced to second on the throw to third. Korry Howell singled to deliver both runners home to even the score.

David Fry put the Rattlers in front in the top of the fifth inning with a two-run home run to left. Fry's homer was his fifth of the season.

Burlington rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth against Aaron Ashby. Harrison Wenson started the inning with a double. Jones followed with a seeing-eye single to right to drive in Wenson. Kevin Arias was next and he blooped a single to center. Ashby got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Adams singled sharply to left to score Jones with the tying run.

Ashby struck out eleven over 5-2/3 innings, but got a no decision for the game. He left with the score tied 4-4 and a runner at first in the bottom of the sixth inning. Peter Strzelecki took over and struck out Wenson to end the sixth.

Neither team managed a hit from the sixth through the ninth and the game went to extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, Connor McVey started the inning at second under Minor League Baseball's extra-inning rule, but he was still there when the inning ended after two strikeouts and a popup.

In the bottom of the tenth, Jones started the inning at second with Tyler Gillies on the mound.

Gillies had worked a scoreless ninth inning, but could not get the game to the eleventh. Arias bunted back to the mound as the lead-off batter. Gillies threw to third, but it was just late and the Bees had runners at the corners with no outs and the top of the order coming to the plate. 

Kevin Maitan drew an intentional pass after he didn't chase any of the first three pitches from Gillies and that loaded the bases.

Adams lined the 1-0 pitch to right for the walk-off single and the Bees celebrated the victory.

Both teams went to extra innings in their games on Wednesday night, too. Burlington won 4-3 over Clinton on walk-off homer at home while the Rattlers suffered a 6-5 loss to Kane County at Neuroscience Group Field.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Community Field. Max Lazar (2-1, 1.61) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cristopher Molina (2-1, 1.35) is set to start for the Bees. Game time is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:10pm.