GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Burlington Bees 5-4 in ten innings on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Tristen Lutz delivered the walkoff hit with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth. Wisconsin took two out of three games
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Burlington Bees 5-4 in ten innings on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Tristen Lutz delivered the walkoff hit with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth. Wisconsin took two out of three games in the series with the Bees.
Gilbert Lara put the Rattlers (50-59 overall, 19-21 second half) up 1-0 with a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the second.
Wisconsin starter Aaron Ashby worked through a few early jams, but kept the Bees off the scoreboard early. Ashby retired the first two batters of the fifth inning,. But walked Torii Hunter Jr. to extend the inning. Burlington took the lead with back-to-back RBI doubles by Leonardo Rivas and Orlando Martinez.
The Rattlers went back in front in the bottom of the sixth inning with a lot of help from the Burlington defense. Gabriel García was at first after drawing a one-out walk. Lutz sent a slow chopper to third for an infield hit, but the throw to first was wild and García headed for third while Lutz motored for second. The throw to try to get Lutz was also wild and García raced home with the tying run. Later in the inning, Kenny Corey doubled to left to knock in Lutz for a 3-2 lead.
Burlington (42-65, 12-26) tied the game 3-3 in the top of seventh inning. Hunter reached on an infield single and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Leonardo Rivas drove in Hunter with a two-out single on a 3-2 pitch.
García put the Rattlers back in front in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nic Pierre started the rally with a one-out double. Darren Seferina followed with a walk. Then, García doubled to left to knock in Pierre for a 4-3 lead.
Clayton Andrews took over on the mound for the Timber Rattlers to start the top of the eighth inning and he set down the side in order. Andrews retired the first two batters of the top of the ninth, but he could not close out the game. Rivas cracked a homer to tie the game. Rivas was 3-for-5 with two RBI and was a single shy of the cycle in the game.
The game went to extra innings and Matt Hardy, the fourth Wisconsin pitcher of the game, went to the mound with the Bees starting the tenth with a runner at second. Hardy, who had entered the conclusion of Wednesday's suspended game on Thursday in the tenth inning and stranded the runner by retiring all three batters he faced before the Rattlers won in the bottom of the tenth, did it again on Friday. He struck out the first two batters and got a flyball to keep the game tied heading to the bottom of the tenth.
Darren Seferina started the bottom of the tenth at second base and García bunted him to third base. Lutz cracked a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw to drive in Seferina with the winning run.
The Timber Rattlers are 4-4 in eight games with the Bees this season. All four of their wins - and three of the losses - have been decided by one run.
Wisconsin begins a brief road trip to Clinton on Saturday with game one of a four-game, three-day series. Christian Taugner (6-7, 3.63) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Ryne Inman (3-7, 4.94) has been named as the starter for the LumberKings. Game time at Ashford University Field is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps.
