Rattler Bats Take Care Of Business
April 16, 2008 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
GRAND CHUTE, WI -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ended their first homestand of 2008 with a 6-2 win over the Fort Wayne Wizards Wednesday afternoon on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Juan Diaz drew a bases loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie. Wisconsin added three more runs in the inning on the way to the victory. Daniel Carroll had three hits with an RBI and Joe Dunigan had a double with a pair of RBI to pace the ten-hit attack. Michael Pineda worked two scoreless innings for the win.
Fort Wayne (4-10) scored first for the third game in a row. Drew Cumberland doubled with two outs to get on base. Lance Zawadzki followed with a bloop single to left and Cumberland scored for a 1-0 Wizard lead.
Wisconsin (4-6) took their first lead of the series with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Blake Ochoa started the inning with a double. One out later, Carroll singled to left and Ochoa scored to tie the game. Carroll stole second to get into scoring position and Calvin Beamon cashed him in with a single to center for a 2-1 Rattler lead.
Fort Wayne rallied to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Angel Mercado singled and stole second to get in scoring position. A two-out RBI single by Ali Solis drove in Mercado to even the score 2-2.
The score remained even until the bottom of the eighth. Jeremy Hefner had mowed down Rattler hitters in his first two innings of relief, but got into trouble right away in his third. Alex Meneses singled to start the eight and Carroll doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs.
Hefner would strike out the next batter for the first out. Then, he walked Alex Liddi intentionally to load the bases. Hefner struck out the next batter for out number two. But, Diaz worked the count full and would take ball four wide of the plate to push Meneses home with the go-ahead run.
Wizard reliever Stevie Delabar relieved Hefner and gave up a ground rule double to Dunigan that plated tow more runs. An infield single by Edilio Colina drove in the final run of the inning and put the Rattlers up by four.
Pineda got the first out of the top of the ninth. Shawn Kelley relieved Pineda and struck out the final two batters of the game to help the Rattlers end their three game losing streak.
The Rattlers are off on Thursday before beginning a six-game road trip on Friday in Beloit. Wisconsin will had Edward Paredes (1-0, 1.80) as their scheduled starting pitchers in game one of the trip. The Snappers will counter with Daniel Berlind (0-1, 7.50). Game time at Pohlman Field is 6:30pm.
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Midwest League Stories from April 16, 2008
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