Late Run Pushes Rattlers Past Clinton

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Brent Díaz broke a 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly to provide the winning margin for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-3 victory over the Clinton LumberKings Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers trailed early, but fought back behind six scoreless innings from the bullpen to win their second straight to open the second half of the season.
For the second night in a row, Clinton (33-38 overall, 0-2 second half) scored twice in the top of the first inning. Connor Scott started the game with a double. Thomas Jones was next and he reached on a bunt single. A throwing error on the play allowed Scott to score. Later in the inning, Evan Edwards drove in a run with a single and the LumberKings were up 2-0.

For the second night in a row, Wisconsin (33-38, 2-0) cut Clinton's lead in half with a run in the bottom of the first inning. David Fry crushed a solo homer to left and the Rattlers were within one run.

The Rattlers tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second inning as they scored a run without the benefit of a hit. Connor McVey walked and Yeison Coca was hit by a pitch. A balk by Clinton starting pitcher George Soriano moved both runners into scoring position. Then, Soriano threw a wild pitch to let McVey score the tying run.

Wisconsin starter Reese Olson walked the tightrope the whole night. He left the bases loaded in the first, stranded two runners in the second, and left two more LumberKings on base in the third. In the fourth, he stumbled and needed some help after he gave up singles to Scott and Jones to start the inning. 

Robbie Hitt entered from the Wisconsin bullpen and retired the first batter on a flyout that allowed Scott to advance to third base. Hitt got the next batter on a strikeout and was quickly ahead of the next hitter with two quick strikes. Hitt was still in his stretch when Jones broke for second. Hitt stepped off the rubber and chased after Jones, who managed to stay in the rundown long enough to allow Scott to break for the plate and score the go-ahead run.

The Rattlers came back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. McVey reached on a single with one out. Coca followed with a triple to the base of the wall in right-center to score McVey.to even the score again.

Hitt worked a scoreless fifth inning before turning the ball over to Freisis Adames with the score still tied in the sixth.

Wisconsin broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Gabriel García started the inning with a single. McVey doubled to left with one out to put runners on second and third. The LumberKings elected to walk Coca to load the bases and that brought Díaz to the plate.

Díaz sent a fly ball to center and it was deep enough to score García with the go-ahead run.

Adames, who had not allowed a hit over his first three innings, went back out for the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 frame, closing out the game with his fourth strikeout. In his last two appearances, Adames has pitched ten scoreless innings and is 2-0 with eleven strikeouts.
Game three of the series is Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Scott Sunitsch (4-7, 4.34) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Jake Walters (0-2, 5.51) is set to start for Clinton. Game time is 6:35pm.

You will feel A New Hope at Wisconsin's annual Star Wars Night presented by Stacey Hennessey of Century 21 Ace Realty on Saturday. There will be clips, characters, and players and coaches will wear specially-designed jerseys based on an iconic moment from the original Star Wars. The jerseys are up for bid in an on-line auction. This auction ends on Saturday at 8:30pm with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. Everyone can enjoy postgame fireworks presented by Tundraland. Children 14 and under may run the bases after the fireworks courtesy of Meijer as part of a North Shore Bank Family Day with WIXX.
If you can't make it out to the game, there are several ways to follow the action. Saturday's game will be televised on CW-14 in Northeastern Wisconsin and on My-24 in Southeastern Wisconsin starting at 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:15pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.