(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) DAVENPORT, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored in every inning from the fourth through the ninth to beat the Quad Cities River Bandits 14-1 Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The Rattlers got big offensive nights from several players and a very solid start from Jayden Dubanewicz, who was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst to move his record to 2-0 in two starts as a Rattler.
The Timber Rattlers (36-28 overall, 2-0 second half) broke the scoreless tie with four runs in the top of the fourth off Bandits starter Blake Wolters. Tayden Hall stepped to the plate with two on an no outs. His hard grounder deflected off the glove of Derlin Figueroa at first. The ball caromed into right center to allow the first run to score. Luis Castillo followed with an RBI double that sent Hall around to third.
Andrick Nava was next and Wolters got a slow grounder up the line at first. Wolters tried to get Hall at the plate, but the throw was late. Luiyin Alastre tacked on the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Wisconsin added to their lead in the fifth inning as they loaded the bases with two outs against Wolters. Reliever Nick Conte took over on the mound to try to put out the fire. He would walk Juan Baez to force in a run and commit a balk to let another run score before getting the final out.
In the sixth, Eric Bitonti ripped a two-run double to right for an 8-0 lead.
Quad Cities (30-35, 0-2) struggled to get anything going against Dubanewicz. Nolan Sailors singled and stole second to start the bottom of the first. Dubanewicz retired the next eight Bandits in a row. Sailors broke up that streak with a two-out triple in the third. Dubanewicz got the final out on a grounder to short. He also pitched around a one-out double in the fourth and a pair of singles in the fifth to keep the Bandits off the scoreboard.
A lead-off single by Ramon Ramirez in the sixth inning ended the night for the Wisconsin starter, who struck out six, walked none, and scattered six hits. Ramirez scored after Dubanewicz left the game when reliever Quinton Low walked two batters and allowed a sacrifice fly to Tyriq Kemp.
Wisconsin’s offense stepped on the gas in the later innings. Josiah Ragsdale singled home a run in the seventh. Marco Dinges, in his return to the lineup for the first time since an ejection last Saturday against Great Lakes, obliterated a 3-2 pitch from Cory Ronan for a two-run home run and an 11-1 lead.
Daniel Dickinson led off the top of the eighth with a home run to left, the first professional home run for Dickinson. Hall tripled after a fly to shallow center ended in a collision and the ball dropping free. Castillo drove in Hall with a bloop single to right that dropped just out of the right of Torres in right field.
Ragsdale, who had already extended his on-base streak to 26 games, cracked a homer in the ninth inning off position player Angel Acosta. Ragsdale went 2-for-5 with a walk and three runs scored on Saturday. He has scored 28 runs during his 26-game on-base streak.
Michael Fowler, who returned from Wisconsin’s Injured List earlier in the week, pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to close out the game
Dinges and Dickinson both had three hits and reached base five times on Saturday. Hall joined that duo with three hits as Wisconsin totaled sixteen hits in the game. The Timber Rattlers were 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position on Saturday.
Dubanewicz, Low, and Fowler held the River Bandits to 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and recorded twelve strikeouts.
Wisconsin has won two in a row to reach eight games over the .500 mark, which is third time they have been eight games above .500 this season.
The series finale is set for Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. Braylon Owens (2-0, 4.19) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Tanner Jones (2-3, 5.85) is the announced starter for the River Bandits. Game time is 1:00pm.
Comments