(TIMBER RATTLERS) BELOIT, WI – A quartet of Beloit Sky Carp pitchers combined on a three-hit, shutout of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a 5-0 win on Tuesday night at ABC Supply Stadium. Beloit pitchers had sixteen strikeouts and walked one as they continued a push for a playoff spot.
Beloit (57-57 overall, 27-21 second half) took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Echedry Vargas. The rally started on a lead-off walk to Wilson Weber and a bunt single by Ian Lewis. Cody Schrier hit a grounder up the middle that was flagged down by Jesús Made, whose only play was first base. Vargas singled to right to score Weber, but Lewis was out at the plate as he tried to score.
Wisconsin (50-63, 16-32) could do almost nothing against Karson Milbrandt, the Sky Carp starter. Luis Peña had a two-out single in the first inning. Marco Dinges had a lead-off walk in the fifth. Milbrandt struck out ten over five scoreless innings.
Travis Smith, the Rattlers starting pitcher, had that one hiccup in the second inning as the only run he allowed. Smith left the game after retiring the first batter he faced in the sixth. He allowed one run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
The Sky Carp extended their lead in the sixth and seventh innings against Jack Seppings. Aiva Arquette, the first batter Seppings faced, singled, stole second, and scored on a triple by Brandon Compton. Weber sent a grounder back to the mound, but the ball deflected off the glove of Seppings to Luis Peña. The only play for Peña was to first base for the second out of the inning and Compton scored for a 3-0 lead.
Arquette put the game all but out of reach in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run double for a 5-0 lead.
Relievers Joey Volini and Juan Reynoso combined for five strikeouts over three perfect innings of relief for Beloit.
In the top of the ninth, Daniel Guilarte and Andrew Fischer singled against Justin Storm for Wisconsin’s first hits since the first inning. That sequence also put runners at the corners with no outs as the Rattlers tried to avoid their sixth shutout of the season. Storm retired Made and Peña on popups before striking out Josh Adamczewski to end the game.
Beloit stayed tied with the South Bend Cubs at the top of the second half West Division race as the Cubs beat Cedar Rapids 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning at Four Winds Field on Tuesday.
The Rattlers offense set a new high for strikeouts in a game with sixteen. Their previous high of fifteen was set on May 6 at Peoria. Wisconsin has fallen to a season-low thirteen games under .500 for the season.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at ABC Supply Stadium. Manuel Rodriguez (1-4, 3.21) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Noble Meyer (1-4, 4.61) is set to start for Beloit. Game time is 6:05pm.
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