(TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers opened their final homestand of the season by scoring a run in bottom of the first inning. Then, the Quad Cities River Bandits held the Rattlers scoreless the rest of the game as they collected ten hits on the way to a 5-1 victory at Neuroscience Group Field.
Wisconsin (52-67 overall, 18-37 second half) took the lead in the bottom of the first. Andrew Fischer doubled and stole third to start the inning. Jesús Made drove in Fischer with a ground out for a 1-0 lead.
Quad Cities (67-54, 28-27) went in front in the top of the fourth. Austin Charles hit a two-out, two-run home run to left for a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Nolan Sailors doubled with one out. Sam Kulasingam drove in Sailors with a single to push the Bandits advantage to 3-1.
Mason Miller, the starting pitcher for the River Bandits, worked five innings and didn’t allow another hit after the double by Fischer in the fifth. He walked one, but that runner was wiped out on a stolen base attempt. Miller struck out six.
Fischer singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth against reliever Andrew Morones, but Fischer would be thrown out trying to steal second base. Morones and Hunter Alberini retired the final nine Rattlers of the game.
Before Alberini closed out the game with a perfect bottom of the ninth, Quad Cities tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Charles started the rally with his third hit of the game. Carter Frederick followed with an RBI double to center. Sailors cashed in the final run of the contest with a single, his fourth hit of the evening.
The Rattlers sent 28 batters to the plate in the game, one over the minimum of 27. They had one at bat with a runner in scoring position, the RBI grounder by Made.
Fischer had both hits for his fourth multi-hit game in ten games with the Rattlers.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Tanner Gillis (2-2, 2.65) is scheduled to start for Wisconsin. The River Bandits have named Emmanuel Reyes (0-2, 5.71) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:40pm CDT.
Comments