(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Quad Cities River Bandits slogged through a rain that varied in intensity through the Thursday evening contest at Neuroscience Group Field. There was even a long delay for lightning that stopped play. The River Bandits got just enough offense to beat the Rattlers 2-0 to back up their trio of pitchers who combined on the five-hit shutout.
The first run of the game came when Bryan Gonzalez hit a lead-off home run in the top of the third inning to give the River Bandits (43-29 overall, 4-2 second half) a 1-0 lead. The homer was his third of the season.
Both starting pitchers were really good on Thursday night. Logan Martin put himself in line for his seventh win of the season by allowing two hits with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings. Wisconsin starter Sam Garcia struck out six over five innings and also gave up two hits. It’s just that one of those hits was the home run by Gonzalez.
Garcia went back out for the top of the sixth inning and had completed his warm-up pitches when a flash of lightning near the ballpark halted the game.
Play resumed fifty minutes later with Jack Seppings taking over for Garcia on the mound. Sam Kulasigam singled with one out. Callan Moss followed with a perfectly placed hit-and-run single to right to send Kulasingam to third base. Chris Brito drove in an insurance run for the Bandits with a sacrifice fly.
Wisconsin (35-36, 1-5) got something going in the bottom of the sixth inning against reliever Tommy Molsky. Luiyin Alastre singled and Daniel Guilarte walked to put two on with none out. Molksy retired the next three batters to stop the rally.
In the bottom of the ninth, a similar pattern emerged against Zachary Cawyer. Jadher Areinamo extended his hitting streak to fourteen games with a single. Marco Dinges followed with a single to give the Rattlers the tying runs on base. Blake Burke hit a slow grounder to the mound and Cawyer’s only play was to first base. That gave the Rattlers the tying runs in scoring position with one out. The hope was snuffed out quickly as Cawyer struck out the next two batters to end the game.
The Timber Rattlers trail this series 2-1. The River Bandits hold the edge in the season series 5-4.
Wisconsin opponents have recorded a save in all five of Wisconsin’s second half losses.
Game four of the series is Friday night. Ryan Birchard (2-4, 4.22) is slated to start for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities has named Felix Arronde (2-4, 3.07) as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm.
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