Big eighth drives Rattlers to fourth straight win
Published on May 3, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers broke up a pitching duel with a seven run eighth inning on Thursday night as Ashford University Field. Wisconsin turned a 2-1 deficit into an 8-2 victory over the Clinton LumberKings. Greg Hopkins had three hits and three RBI on the night for the Rattlers offense and pitcher Drew Gagnon turned in seven more strong innings to get his third win of the season.
Clinton (10-16) did something no team had done to Gagnon since April 12. They scored a run. Jamal Austin started the bottom of the first with a single, stole second, and went to third on a ground out. A sacrifice fly by Jharmidy DeJesus plated Austin for a 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin (16-11) did not have to work as hard to get their run in the top of the second. Hopkins drove a 3-2 pitch from Ambioris Hidalgo over the wall in left-center for his second home run of the season. The solo homer by the Rattlers first baseman tied the game 1-1.
Clinton retook the lead in the bottom of the third. They had runners at first and third with one out and a sacrifice fly by Steve Baron got the go ahead run home for the LumberKings.
That was it for the LumberKings. Including Baron, Gagnon retired the last 14 batters he faced. But, the Rattlers could do nothing against Hidalgo. Until the eighth.
Wisconsin trailed 2-1 to start the eighth and Hopkins began the inning with a single. Yadiel Rivera was next and he wanted to drop a sacrifice bunt. But, Hidalgo walked him to put two runners on base with no outs. That ended the night for Hidalgo as Clinton went to side-arming right hander John Taylor.
Ben McMahan stepped up and attempted a bunt but fouled it off. The bunt play was taken off and McMahan delivered a sharp single to center to score Hopkins with the tying run. The throw to the plate missed the cutoff man and that allowed Rivera to take third and McMahan to take second. That was just the start.
Taylor walked Neda to load the bases and Adrian Williams came to the plate. The Rattlers second baseman sent a high chopper up the third base line. Taylor fielded the ball cleanly and had a chance to get Rivera at the plate. But, the throw home was wild. Both Rivera and McMahan scored. Neda wound up on third and Williams was standing on second with Wisconsin up 4-2. One out later, Brandon Macias was hit by a pitch to reload the bases.
After Max Walla grounded into a force play at the plate recorded the second out of the eighth, Jason Rogers stepped in with the bases loaded. He worked the count to 3-2 before lining a single to center that knocked in two runs. The throw home missed the cutoff man again and Rogers wound up on second base as Walla took third.
That brought Hopkins to the plate for the second time in the inning and he drove in two more runs with a single and the Rattlers were comfortably in front 8-2.
Kevin Shackelford replaced Gagnon in the bottom of the eighth a took over right where the Rattlers starter left the game by retiring all six batters he faced. In all, Rattlers pitchers retired the last twenty LumberKings batters in the game.
The win was the fourth straight for the Rattlers and moved their record to 16-11, a season high five games over .500. The win, coupled with Beloit (15-11) having their game suspended in the third inning in Cedar Rapids, put the Rattlers alone in first place in the Western Division for the first time since the 2005 season.
The final game of the three game series is Friday night at Ashford University Field. Mark Williams (0-3, 3.47) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Clinton counters with Stephen Landazuri (3-0, 1.86). Game time is 6:30pm Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:10pm.
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