(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers somehow found themselves tied with the Quad Cities River Bandits heading into the ninth inning on Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Despite collecting one hit after the third inning, the Rattlers battled back from a 4-1 deficit with two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth. Then, Wisconsin could not make the pitches or the plays in the ninth inning as the Bandits scored twice to take the lead on the way to a 6-4 win.
Wisconsin (36-37 overall, 2-6 second half) took the lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Blayberg Diaz and Hedbert Pérez started the inning with back-to-back singles put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly by Jadher Areinamo drove in Diaz for a 1-0 lead.
Quad Cities (44-30, 5-3) went in front in the top of the fourth. Daniel Vazquez singled and stole second. Sam Kulasingam drove in Vazquez with a single to tie the game. A passed ball and a flyout to right advanced Kulasingam to third bases before Wisconsin starting pitcher Jaron DeBerry walked Carson Roccaforte. Carter Frederick knocked in Kulasingam with a sacrifice fly for the 2-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Bandits extended their lead to 4-1. Reliever Jeferson Figueroa walked Kulasingam to start the frame and walked Roccaforte with one out. Frederick singled home Kulasingam with Roccaforte getting caught between second and third for the second out. Frederick stole second and scored on a single to left by Derlin Figueroa.
The Rattlers clawed their way back into the game by scraping together a rally in the bottom of the seventh against the Bandits bullpen starting with Nicholas Regalado, who walked Kay-Lan Nicasia and Luiyin Alastre with one out. Yhoswar Garcia followed with a slow roller to short and was called out on a close play by base umpire John Reed. Then, Garcia was ejected for vehemently objecting to the call. Regalado loaded the bases by hitting Blayberg Diaz and was replaced by Dennis Colleran.
Colleran was on the verge of getting out of the inning by getting ahead of Pérez with two quick strikes. However, his next pitch was missed by catcher Canyon Brown for a run scoring passed ball. The next pitch went to the backstop for a run-scoring wild pitch and the Rattlers were within 4-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, there was a similar rally. Blake Burke walked with one out, Juan Baez reached on an infield single with two out, and Nicasia walked to load the bases. Alastre drew another walk to force in Burke to tie the game and force the Bandits to make another pitching change.
AJ Causey came into the game to face Daniel Guilarte, who entered the game after Garcia was ejected. Causey missed with his first three pitches and hit the target with his next two pitches to run the count full. Guilarte popped the payoff pitch to left field for the final out and the game went to the ninth inning tied 4-4.
Tyler Woessner, who entered in the top of the eighth inning to get an inning-ending double play, went back out for the ninth to face the bottom third of the River Bandits order and got ahead of Figueroa 0-2. But he would walk Figueroa with four straight outside the zone. Then, the defense went haywire for Wisconsin.
Chris Brito was called on to sacrifice. The bunt was right back to Woessner, who threw wildly to second and everyone was safe on the play. Canyon was also called on to bunt. This time, the bunt went right to Burke, who was charging in from first base and looking to third base. There was no one at third to take the throw and Quad Cities had the bases loaded as Burke had to hold on to the baseball.
Woessner got the first out on foul pop but walked Vazquez to force in the go-ahead run. Kulasingam added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
There was one final twist in the game, and it came with Diaz at the plate to lead-off the bottom of the ninth. Causey got ahead of Diaz 0-2 and Diaz asked for his timeout. Causey missed with his next two pitches and Diaz for a second timeout. Batters are only allowed one timeout per at bat. The penalty for asking for a second timeout in an at bat is an automatic strike and that meant strike three on Diaz for the first out.
Causey closed out the game by striking out Pérez and retiring Areinamo on a line drive to third base.
Quad Cities takes a 3-2 series lead heading into the finale on Sunday.
The teams combined to walk fifteen and strand fifteen in the game.
Areinamo added to his hitting streak with a single in the first inning. He is on a sixteen-game hitting streak, the second-longest streak in the Midwest League this season.
The final game of Udder Tuggers Weekend is Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field featuring a pitching rematch from game one of the series with Anthony Flores (2-3, 4.70) as the starter for Wisconsin and Joh Hansell (0-1, 2.57) set to start for Quad Cities. Game time is 1:10pm.
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