LumberKings Defeat Wisconsin 7-3

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Clinton LumberKings built a 7-0 lead and held off a late rally to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-3 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The key inning was the sixth as the LumberKings scored four runs on just one hit.
Clinton (12-5) broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Dimas Ojeda doubled on the first pitch of the frame and Ryan Scott tripled on the second pitch of the inning for a 1-0 lead. Louis Boyd made it 2-0 in favor of the LumberKings with a one-out single to knock in Scott.

The Rattlers (5-15) got very sloppy in the top of the sixth inning. Ryan Costello doubled to start the inning against reliever Braulio Ortiz. Then, Ortiz struck out Greifer Andrade, but the pitch got away to allow Andrade to reach base. Clinton had runners at second and third with two outs when Ortiz threw a wild pitch to allow the first run of the frame to score. He would throw another wild pitch to let another run score later in the inning.

Rodrigo Benoit took over for Ortiz with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out Jack Larsen, but the ball was in the dirt and skipped into foul territory. Catcher Brent Diaz had to throw to first to get the final out of the inning, but threw wildly for an error and two more runs scored for a 6-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin's offense was kept quiet by Clinton starting pitcher Tommy Romero, who scattered five hits and struck out six over 5-2/3 scoreless innings.

Clinton added one more run in the ninth inning on a two-out RBI single by Eugene Helder to make it 7-0.

Wisconsin staged a late comeback and actually got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with reliever Sam Delaplane on the mound. Demi Orimoloye and Gabriel García hit back-to-back homers on consecutive pitches to get the Rattlers on the scoreboard. Orimoloye's homer cleared the boardwalk above the Clinton bullpen in left-center and left the stadium. García took the next pitch out to left for his first home run of the season. 

Three straight Rattlers reached base after Delaplane got the first out to bring Joantgel Segovia to the plate with the bases loaded. Segovia dropped a single into left field to extend his current on-base streak to thirteen games and knock in a run to bring the Rattlers to within 7-3.

However, the Rattlers could not complete the storybook comeback and Delaplane retired the next two hitters on a strikeout and a routine fly ball to center to close out the game.

The teams split the four-game series and both teams came away with four wins in the eight meetings played between them in the first half. They will not meet again until late June near the start of the second half of the Midwest League schedule.
The Timber Rattlers continue their homestand with the first game of a three-game series against the Peoria Chiefs on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Bowden Francis (0-2, 2.57) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Alvaro Seijas (0-1, 2.87) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:35pm.
The first 1,000 fans to attend this game receive a Timber Rattlers umbrella courtesy of ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc. Arty's Old Fashioned drinks will be available to fans 21 and over for $3 on an Arty's Old Fashioned Friday with WIXX. Children 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Menasha Corporation after the game.

If you can't make it to the game, there are several ways to catch the action. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game over the internet. Monday's game is also the first Timber Rattlers broadcast on Spectrum Sports for fans with Spectrum Cable.