Rattlers Pitch Their Way Past Beloit

BELOIT, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers started their six-game series at Pohlman Field against the Beloit Snappers with a strong performance from a quartet of pitchers on the way to a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night.

Click here for the boxscore of Tuesday's game.

Wisconsin (23-25) took the lead in the top of the third inning. Nick Kahle started the inning with a double and moved to third on a balk. Beloit starting pitcher Zach McCambley struck out the next two batters and had a 1-2 count on Korry Howell. Then, Howell tripled off the wall in left to score Kahle. Garrett Mitchell followed with a single to knock in Howell and the Rattlers were up 2-0.

Justin Jarvis, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, picked up where he left off in his last start. On June 24, Jarvis retired the first six Peoria Chiefs batters he faced before rain halted the game until the following afternoon. Jarvis didn’t get back on the mound until Tuesday night and he retired the first thirteen Snappers of the game.

Griffin Conine ended that streak and got Beloit on the scoreboard when he homered to center on a 3-0 pitch from Jarvis. The homer was the fourteenth of the season for Conine.

The Snappers (23-26) turned up the pressure in the sixth and seventh innings.

Jarvis gave up an infield single and a one-out walk and left the game in favor of Brady Schanuel. The Rattler reliever struck out Will Banfield and Kameron Misner to protect the lead. Schanuel has stranded all fourteen runners that he has inherited this season.

In the seventh, Schanuel needed some help to get out of the inning. He walked Conine with one out and Bubba Hollins with two outs.. Evan Reifert took over and struck out Ynmanol Marinez to end the threat.

Reifert went back out and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

The Timber Rattlers padded their lead with an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Mitchell reached on an error and stole second to start the inning. Thomas Dillard was hit by a pitch and Hayden Cantrelle walked to load the bases with no outs. Je’Von Ward chased Mitchell home with a sacrifice fly and Wisconsin had a 3-1 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.

That was more than enough for Taylor Floyd, the fourth Wisconsin pitcher of the night. Floyd entered the game and struck out the side in order, including Conine to end the game, for his fifth save of the season.

Jarvis picked up the victory, his first of the season. The three relievers worked 3-2/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowed no hits, walked two, and struck out eight.

Cantrelle walked twice in the game. He has walked 46 times in 43 games this season and has drawn at least one walk in nine straight games.

Game two of the series at Pohlman Field is Wednesday night. Victor Castañeda (1-2, 4.91) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Bryan Hoeing (3-4, 6.85) is scheduled to start for the Snappers. Game time is 6:35pm. Catch the action on AM 1280 WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. The game is also available on internet audio.