Kane County Stuns Wisconsin
August 30, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a 5-1 lead over the Kane County Cougars heading into the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon. But, the Cougars scored four in the ninth and Conner Crumbliss got credit for the game winning RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth to beat the Rattlers 6-5. Kane County has beaten the Rattlers in nine straight meetings.
A foreshadowing of the frustrating day happened in the top of the first inning. Wisconsin had three hits, but could not score.
The Cougars (72-61 overall, 31-22 second half) scored in the bottom of the first. Rattlers starting pitcher Efrain Nieves walked Crumbliss, the leadoff batter, to start the inning. A single to right by Leonardo Gil put runners at the corners with no outs. A sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Steve Parker drove in Crumbliss for the 1-0 lead.
The Rattlers (57-75, 23-39) tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. They loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a bunt single. Kyle Dhanani grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that let the runner at third score the tying run.
Wisconsin took the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Brock Kjeldgaard started the inning with a double. Jose Duran's one-out RBI single drove in Kjeldgaard with the go-ahead run. Dhanani followed with an RBI triple to send Duran home. The throw to third hit Dhanani and deflected into the Timber Rattlers dugout to allow Dhanani to score and put Wisconsin up 4-1.
Derrick McPhearson drove in an insurance run with a two-out single in the top of the ninth. It did not turn out to be enough insurance.
Nieves was solid over 5-2/3 innings. He allowed four hits, struck out five, and gave up just that one first inning run. Nick Tyson relieved Nieves and did not allow a run in the first 2-1/3 innings he worked.
But, in the ninth Tyson gave up a lead off single and two straight walks to load the bases. A third consecutive walk to Tyler Ladendorf forced in a run to make the score 5-2. That was all for Tyson and Liam Ohlmann relieved.
Dusty Napoleon greeted Ohlmann with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-3. A single by Crumbliss reloaded the bases and an error let in a run to cut that lead to one. Parker hit a sacrifice fly to center and the tying run scored. A hit batsman loaded the bases again, but Ohlmann struck out Franklin Henderson, the Cougar who started the inning, to send the game to extra innings.
Kjeldgaard drew a one out walk and stole second in the top of the tenth, but was left stranded there at the end of the inning.
In the bottom of the tenth, Jeremy Barfield doubled to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third with the winning run. Wisconsin elected to walk the next two batters intentionally to load the bases. The Rattlers also went to the bullpen to bring Rigoberto Almonte into the game to replace Ohlmann.
Almonte quickly got ahead of Crumbliss, but came too far inside with a 1-2 pitch. The resulting hit batsman forced the winning run home and gave the Cougars a 6-5 win.
The Rattlers conclude their season series with the Cougars on Monday night at Elfstrom Stadium. Trey Watten (5-13, 4.58) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Kane County counters with Murphy Smith (1-2, 4.94) going to the mound. Game time is 6:30pm.
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