(TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – Big offensive nights by Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Andrew Fischer and Jesús Made were spoiled when the Quad Cities River Bandits broke a 4-4 with five runs in the top of the ninth inning to pick up a 9-5 win and more ground in the second half West Division playoff race.
The top of Wisconsin’s order got them the lead in the first inning. Fischer and Made had back-to-back singles to open the inning. Josh Adamczewski drove in Fischer with a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
In the second, the Rattlers (52-68 overall, 18-38 second half) added to their lead with an RBI double by Blayberg Diaz and an RBI single by Made.
The River Bandits (68-54, 29-27) got on the scoreboard in the top of the third with two outs on back-to-back doubles by Noah Sailors and Sam Kulasingam.
Wisconsin starting pitcher Tanner Gillis gave up a lead-off double and a walk to start the top of the fourth before leaving with a blister on his right index finger. Jack Seppings was called in from the Rattlers bullpen.
Seppings got the first out, but a walk loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly by Erick Torre cut Wisconsin’s lead to 3-2. Sailors walked on a 3-2 pitch to reload the bases. Seppings went full to Kulasingam before walking him to force in the tying run. Another 3-2 pitch was out of the zone to Blake Mitchell to force in the go-ahead run.
Fischer tied the game with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
The game stayed tied through eight innings when things went sideways on the Rattlers.
Reliever Aaron Rund gave up an infield single to Torres to start the inning. Sailors was asked to drop a sacrifice bunt. He did and the Rattlers thought they had the out at first. However, Sailors was called safe. Kulasingam followed with another sacrifice bunt, and he was out at first. Wisconsin elected to walk Mitchell intentionally to load the bases.
Daniel Vazquez sent a high chopper on the infield for another infield single with this one putting the Bandits up 5-4. Chris Brito grounded into a force play at second to drive in the second run. Trevor Werner, the seventh man to bat in the inning, singled into center for another run.
Two errors let the Bandits add two more runs. A misplay on a grounder to Luis Peña let in the fourth run of the inning. Then, with runners at first and second, catcher Marco Dinges tried to pick a runner off first. The throw was wild. Werner, the runner at second scored easily. Austin Charles, the runner from first, tried to score on the play and was out on a relay throw from Made.
Fischer, the #1 draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 draft, gave the crowd something to cheer with a long, one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. The homer was Fischer’s first as a professional.
Made followed with a double for his fourth hit of the night. Made, the #1 prospect of the Brewers, went 4-for-5 with two doubles for his first four-hit game as a Timber Rattler.
Wisconsin has lost five in a row. The River Bandits picked up a game on both the South Bend Cubs and Beloit Sky Carp in the standings. South Bend and Beloit entered the evening tied at the top of the West Division. Both teams lost on Wednesday night to allow Quad Cities to pull to within 1-1/2 games of the top spot with ten games remaining in the season.
The Rattlers and Bandits meet in game three of the series on Thursday night. Ryan Birchard (3-8, 4.23) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Logan Martin (8-4, 3.75) is set to start for Quad Cities. Game time is 6:40pm.
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