(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) MIDLAND, MI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers cobbled together an unlikely three-run rally in the top of the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead over the Great Lakes Loons on Wednesday night at Dow Diamond. Then, the Loons tied the game with an unearned run in the sixth, took the lead on a run-scoring balk in the seventh, and held off the Rattlers over the final two innings for a 4-3 victory.
Great Lakes (26-14) scored twice in the first inning. Chuck Davalan hit the second pitch of the game from Braylon Owens out of the ballpark for a leadoff home run. Eduardo Quintero was next to hit for the Loons. He walked and stole second but was still there with two outs.
Owens kept the Loons off the scoreboard after the fifth. He struck out seven, walked two, and allowed four hits over five innings. Owens is the Midwest League leader in strikeouts this season. He has recorded 53 strikeouts in 36-1/3 innings pitched for the Rattlers in his first professional season.
Wisconsin (21-17) took the lead in the top of the sixth by scoring three runs without a hit. Great Lakes reliever Davis Chastain, who had walked eight and struck out 29 in his first 19 innings of the season for the Loons, walked the first five batters he faced in the sixth. Josiah Ragsdale and Daniel Dickinson each drew walks with the bases loaded to force in the runs to tie the game. Blayberg Diaz gave the Rattlers a 3-2 advantage on a sacrifice fly.
Yorman Galindez took over for Owens to start the bottom of the sixth. Galindez retired the first two batters of the inning but hit Nico Perez on an 0-1 pitch. Perez stole second to get into scoring position. He broke for third on a 2-2 pitch to Emil Morales. The pitch was a ball, Diaz threw late and wild to third, the ball glanced off the glove of Andrew Fischer into left field to allow Perez to score the tying run.
In the bottom of the seventh, a walk and a single put runners on the corners with no outs. Galindez committed a balk to allow the go-ahead run to score.
Wisconsin had a lead-off single from Eric Bitonti in the eighth and a two-out single in the ninth from Marco Dinges but could do nothing with them as the Loons evened up the series with a win for both teams.
Game three of the series is Thursday evening at Dow Diamond. J.D. Thompson (0-0, 6.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Jakob Wright (2-1, 5.25) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 5:05pm CDT.
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