Rattler Rally Falls Short at Beloit

BELOIT, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers threw a scare into the Beloit Snappers Friday night at Pohlman Field, but a ninth-inning rally left the bases loaded and the Snappers held on for a 6-5 victory.
Wisconsin (1-1) took the lead in the top of the first inning. Pablo Abreu drew a lead-off walk and wound up on third after a one-out double by David Fry. Chad McClanahan drove in Abreu with a ground out to first and the Rattlers were up 1-0.
Beloit (1-1) strung together four straight hits with two outs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead. There was a runner at first with two outs when Nick Ward singled. It was the first of four singles on the night for Ward.

Then, Marcos Brito lined a 1-2 pitch to the gap in left-center to score both runners. Lester Madden and Chase Calabuig followed with consecutive RBI singles to pad the Beloit advantage.

Fry continued his hot hitting in the fifth inning with a long, two-run home run to left-center. His first Midwest League home run pulled the Rattlers to within a run.
 

The Snappers answered in the bottom of the fifth inning to add an insurance run. Madden tripled to start the inning. Ryan Gridley singled with one out to drive in Madden and Beloit was up 5-3.
Abreu started a Rattlers rally in the top of the seventh with a lead-off triple. Turang was next and he lined a payoff pitch to deep center that was caught by Calabuig, but Abreu tagged and scored easily to bring the Rattlers closer.

Gabriel García drew a lead-off walk in the top of the eighth inning and wound up at third with one out after a stolen base and an error. However, he was left stranded there as the tying run when the inning ended.

Madden played a part in another insurance run with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Snappers would need this extra run, too.

Turang singled with two outs in the top of the ninth inning on a 3-2 pitch from Beloit reliever Charlie Cerny to keep the game alive for Wisconsin. Fry followed with a walk and he was replaced by pinch-runner Yeison Coca. Then, McClanahan cracked a single to right to score Turang and send Coca around to third base with the tying run. Cerny would walk García to load the bases and that would be all for him.

Brandon Withers took over on the mound for the Snappers and got a strikeout to end the game.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday afternoon against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Max Lazar will make his Timber Rattlers debut as the scheduled starting pitcher. Cedar Rapids has named Cole Sands as their starter. Game time at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium is 4:05pm.

Every fan to attend the 2019 Home Opener will receive a bobblehead of former Timber Rattler and current Milwaukee Brewer Lorenzo Cain courtesy of Pepsi and Asphalt Seal and Repair. 

The Timber Rattlers have special guests to add to the pomp and circumstance of the home opener, too. American Idol contestant Franki Moscato will sing the National Anthem and the National Championship UW-Stevens Point Pointers hockey team will throw out a first pitch. 

After the game, children 12 and under may run the bases courtesy of Meijer as part of a North Shore Bank Family Day with WIXX. Pick up a 2019 Timber Rattlers magnet schedule made possible by 4imprint on your way home after the home opener.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the Timber Rattlers. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 4:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.