Helm, Hawks Outlast Rattlers and Heat

Published on July 17, 2011 under Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks News Release


Appleton, WI - With a heat index reaching 109 degrees in Appleton, Wisconsin, the South Bend Silver Hawks outlasted the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 7-6 win in 14 innings on Sunday afternoon. Four hours and 49 minutes after the first pitch, the Silver Hawks clinched their third straight win with a convincing strikeout.

Matt Helm broke the 6-6 tie with two outs in the top of the 14th inning, taking an Adrian Rosario (LP, 0-1) pitch over the left field wall for a solo homer. It was Helm's third straight day with a solo home run, his third hit of the day, and his third run scored in the matinee matchup between the Hawks and Rattlers.

Chris Odegaard (WP, 1-0) did the rest, tossing the 12th through the 14th in scoreless fashion to pick up his first win. That's not to say it was always easy however, as the Timber Rattlers had two on in the 13th and the tying run at second in the 14th inning when Odegaard struck out Tony Pecheck for the final out of the marathon game.

South Bend thought they would win it much earlier, having scored a run in the top of the 11th inning. Roberto Ortiz doubled to start the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a wild pitch for a 6-5 lead. However, the Timber Rattlers answered with two singles and a sacrifice fly by Jason Rogers to force another inning.

Wisconsin actually had a very early lead scoring three times in the first against starter J.R. Bradley (ND). The Silver Hawks answered with two in the second and three in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. The Timber Rattlers chipped away to score single tallies in the sixth and seventh, setting the stage for extras.

In addition to Helm's heroics, Gerson Montilla had two hits and two RBIs for the Silver Hawks while Roberto Rodriguez finished a homer shy of the cycle with a RBI in the game. Niko Gallego and Roberto Ortiz also picked up RBIs for South Bend.

The Timber Rattlers were led by Mike Walker and Reggie Keen with three hits apiece and Rogers with three RBIs.

Because of the extreme heat, both teams used changed catchers part way through. South Bend used six pitchers in the contest while the Timber Rattlers sent five different pitchers to the mound.

The game was the longest of the season for the Silver Hawks in terms of both innings and time. The Hawks are now 3-0 in extra innings this season while the Timber Rattlers fall to 1-8.

The Silver Hawks and Timber Rattlers play the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon, beginning at 1:05 PM Eastern Time. RHP Tyler Green (3-4, 4.91 ERA) will start for South Bend while Wisconsin's starter will be RHP Brooks Hall (4-2, 4.14 ERA). Pre-game coverage begins at 12:45 PM Eastern Time on www.sportsjuice.com and www.silverhawks.com.

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Midwest League Stories from July 17, 2011


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