Late LumberKing Homers Sink Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were one out away from heading to the bottom of the ninth inning tied 3-3 with the Clinton LumberKings on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The LumberKings had other ideas. Kameron Misner hit a two-run homer to break the tie and JD Osborne hit another two-run homer later in the inning to send the LumberKings to a 7-3 win.

Clinton (59-49 overall, 26-13 second half) took the lead with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Christopher Torres started the game with an infield single and took second on a throwing error. Torres, who extended his current hitting streak to nineteen games with that single, moved to third on a grounder. Peyton Burdick singled to drive in Torres and the LumberKings were up 1-0.

Marcos Rivera doubled the LumberKings lead with a lead-off home run in the top of the third.

The LumberKings added to their lead in the fourth inning when Bubba Hollins drove in Osborne with a sacrifice fly.

Wisconsin (51-57, 20-19) started to rally in the fourth inning. Jesús Lujano tripled to start the frame and scored on a wild pitch. Wisconsin put the tying runs on base in the fourth as Thomas Dillard walked and Connor McVey was hit by a pitch. A ground out moved both runners into scoring position, but they were left stranded when the inning ended on a strikeout and a popup.

In the sixth, Dillard and McVey started the comeback to even the score. Dillard singled with one out and McVey drew a walk. Je'Von Ward lined a single to right to score Dillard and get McVey to third base. Antonio Piñero dropped a safety squeeze bunt and McVey raced home with the tying run once the throw went to first base.

Reliever Joey Matulovich, who was making his Timber Rattlers debut, kept the LumberKings off the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth innings. He retired the first batter in the ninth with a strikeout. Zach Scott was next and he sent a flyball to left-center. Ward and centerfielder Korry Howell converged on the ball and Ward had the ball go off his glove for an error. Matulovich got the second out with his fourth strikeout of the night.

That brought Misner to the plate and he cracked a two-run home run to right to put Clinton up 5-3. Burdick followed with a single. Then, Osborne homered to left-center and the LumberKings had a 7-3 lead.

The Timber Rattlers went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and Clinton had their fifth win in a row while the Rattlers suffered their fourth straight loss.

The LumberKings have hit thirteen home runs in thirteen games against Wisconsin this season.
The final game of the series at Neuroscience Group Field is Friday night. Ethan Small, the #1 pick of the Milwaukee Brewers from the 2019 draft, is scheduled to make his Timber Rattlers debut as the starting pitcher in this game. Clinton will counter with Josh Roberson (1-1, 2.31) as their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
The henchmen are here for Minion Night! The first 1,000 fans to enter the ballpark for this game will receive a Minions drawstring backpack from North Shore Bank. Plus, there is a chance to meet one or two of the little, yellow dudes. 

Fans of legal drinking age may have Arty's Old Fashioned Drinks for $3 on this Arty's Old Fashioned Friday with Arty's and 101.1 WIXX. 

FOX 11 presents postgame fireworks and children aged twelve and under may run the bases after the game courtesy of Menasha Corporation.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, 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.