Rattlers Top Snappers 4-1 on Saturday afternoon

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattles got sick of playing from behind against the Beloit Snappers. The Rattlers, who were down by three runs in each of the first four games of the series with their in-state rivals, took the lead in the first inning and never looked back on Saturday afternoon in a 4-1 win at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Nick Bennett pitched 5-2/3 scoreless innings, allowed three hits, and struck out six for the win.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

Felix Valerio gave the Timber Rattlers (51-55) the lead with a solo homer to left with one out in the bottom of the first inning. The homer was Valerio’s fifth in seventeen games with Wisconsin. It also extended his current hitting streak to seven games.

Zavier Warren made it 2-0 with his first homer as a Rattler. Warren’s drive to right-center traveled over 400 feet with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Warren had ten home runs with the Carolina Mudcats before his promotion to Wisconsin.

Bennett pitched into the sixth inning and gave up a one-out single to Connor Scott and a two-out walk to Troy Johnston before he was replaced by reliever Kent Hasler. A double steal put the tying runs in scoring position, but Hasler got the final out with a strikeout.

Freddy Zamora added to the Wisconsin advantage in the bottom of the fifth. Warren singled and stole second. Zamora doubled with two outs to score Warren for a 3-0 lead.

Beloit (49-58) got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh on a solo homer by Marcos Rivera. Hasler gave up a two-out double later in the inning before he got the final out of the frame on a strikeout.

Joey Wiemer got that run back for the Rattlers with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh and the Rattlers were up 4-1 heading into the final two innings.

Nash Walters worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Then, Harold Chirino worked around a pair of singles in the top of the ninth to close out the game and earn his sixth save of the season.

The Wisconsin bullpen has covered 19 innings in the first five games of the series with Beloit. They have allowed four runs – three earned – this week.

Saturday’s victory clinched the series win for Wisconsin and it also clinched the season series for them against the Snappers. Wisconsin is 13-10 against Beloit with just one more game scheduled between the teams this season.

That final game is Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field. TJ Shook (1-1, 11.57) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. George Soriano (3-1, 3.72) is set to start for the Snappers. Game time is 1:05pm.

Sunday is Yooper Day! The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a Yooper Fang bobblehead from Dairy Queen. Plus, we will have some fun as we celebrate our friend and family from the Upper Peninsula.

Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear their 2021 Brewers-themed jerseys for this game as part of Brewers Sunday with 107.5 The Fan, too. Pregame Catch on the Field takes place from noon to 12:30 courtesy of Chick-fil-A, too.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM 1280 WNAM and on internet audio with the pregame show at 12:45pm. The game is also available on MiLB.tv.