Rattlers Spoil Sky Carp’s Home Opener with 6-3 win

BELOIT, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers wrecked the Beloit Sky Carp’s home opener with a 6-3 win at ABC Supply Stadium on Tuesday night. Four Wisconsin pitchers combined for sixteen strikeouts in the game as the Rattlers hitters cracked ten hits to rally from an early 2-1 deficit.

Click here for a boxscore of this game

Wisconsin (3-1) took the lead with a run in the first inning. Sal Frelick singled, stole second, and took third on a single by Carlos Rodríguez. Sky Carp starting pitcher MD Johnson almost got out of the inning without damage after back-to-back strikeouts. However, Johnson uncorked a wild pitch and Frelick scored.

Beloit (1-3) answered in the bottom of the first inning. Nasim Nunez drew a leadoff walk, stole second and stole third. Bennett Hostetler knocked in Nunez with a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.

The Sky Carp took the lead in the bottom of the second. Will Banfield started the inning with a double but was still at second base after Wisconsin starting pitcher Antoine Kelly struck out the next two batters. Then, Tanner Allen blooped a double to right-center to score Banfield and Beloit was up 2-1.

Rodríguez doubled with one out in the top of the third for his second hit of the game. Zavier Warren cashed in the opportunity with a single to right to score Rodríguez and tie the game. Ernesto Martinez Jr was next and he cracked a two-run home run to left to put the Rattlers back in the lead.

Darrien Miller added to the Wisconsin advantage in the top of the fourth. Ethan Murray reached on an error to begin the rally. Miller followed with a two-run home run to left and the Rattlers had a 6-2 lead.

Kelly, who didn’t give up another run after the second inning, set a new single-game high for strikeouts as a professional as he recorded nine in 3-2/3 innings. He had to leave after a walk with two outs in the bottom of the fourth on his pitch count. The left-hander allowed two runs on two hits and four walks to go along with his nine strikeouts on 81 pitches.

Beloit loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Miguel Guerrero in the bottom of the fifth but only managed to score a run on a fielder’s choice off a grounder by Banfield. Guerrero pitched three innings of relief and struck out four. He left in the bottom of the seventh after hitting Banfield with two outs to put two runners on base to bring the tying run to the plate.

Robbie Baker, the third Wisconsin pitcher of the night, struck out Federico Polanco to end the threat and send the game to the eighth. Baker also worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to turn the 6-3 lead over to Cam Robinson for the ninth.

Robinson struck out the first two batters to run Wisconsin’s strikeout total to sixteen. A walk was followed by a groundout and Robinson closed out the win by picking up his first save of the season.

Rodríguez led the offensive attack of the Rattlers with three hits. Warren and Miller each had two hits for Wisconsin. Frelick, who stole two bases in the game, extended his hitting streak to four games with his first inning single.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night in Beloit. Russell Smith is scheduled to make his Timber Rattlers debut as the starting pitcher. The Sky Carp are set to go with Patrick Monteverde. First pitch is set for 6:35pm. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starts at 6:15pm.