MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Kernels crack 19 hits to beat Rattlers 15-5

July 8, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels banged out nineteen hits and defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 15-5 on Tuesday night at Perfect Game Field. JD Williams led the way by going 4-for-4 with four runs and four RBI for the home team. Wisconsin briefly held a 2-1 and tied the game 3-3, but the Kernels offensive onslaught was too much to overcome in this game.

The Kernels (37-50 overall, 6-11 second half) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with an unearned run. Ryan Walker singled with one out and Chad Christensen reached on an error when his potential inning-ending double play ball was misplayed. A two-out single by Bryan Haar drove in Walker.

Wisconsin (45-42, 9-9) went in front with a home run in the top of the second inning. Dustin DeMuth was hit by a pitch from Kernels starter Lewis Thorpe. Taylor Brennan followed with a two-run home run to right and the Rattlers were up 2-1. Wisconsin had two one with one out and were looking for more in the second, but Thorpe kept the Rattlers from scoring another run in the frame.

Williams put the Kernels back in front with a two-run homer off Tristan Archer in the bottom of the second. Jason Kanzler started the inning with a double. Then, Williams launched his first home run of the season and the Kernels had a 3-2 lead.

The Timber Rattlers scratched out a run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game. Brennan walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Rafael Neda's grounder to first was misplayed for an error that put runners on the corners with no outs. Jose Pena grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Brennan scored the tying run.

Cedar Rapids went up one more time in the bottom of the fourth by sending eight men to the plate and scoring four runs. Williams and Tanner Vavra started the inning with consecutive singles. John Murphy doubled off the wall in left to send Williams home for a 5-4 lead.

Omar Garcia made a spectacular catch in left-center for the second out of the inning to rob Walker of extra bases, but Vavra scored from third on the sacrifice fly. The Kernels added to their lead in the inning with an RBI single by Chad Christensen and an RBI double by Mitch Garver. Chris Razo came on to get the final out of the inning.

Michael Ratterree knocked in a run in the top of the fifth inning with a single to get the Rattlers back to within four.

The Kernels got to Razo for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first run scored on a throwing error by Razo. Walker doubled in two runs later in the inning for a 10-4 lead.

Zach Quintana took over in the bottom of the sixth and got the first out of the inning. The next three batters reached to load the bases. Williams singled to center to drive in a run and an error on the play let a second run score for a 12-4 advantage.

Brennan knocked in his third run of the game with a single in the top of the eighth and the Rattlers were within 12-5.

But, the Kernels added three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Williams picked up his fourth hit of the night with an RBI double. Vavra chipped in with his third hit, an RBI single. Walker capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly for his fourth RBI of the night.

The Timber Rattlers have lost three straight games for the first time since May 20-22 and are back to .500 in the second half for the first time. Tuesday also marked the first time Wisconsin had allowed ten or more runs in a game since the final game of the first half when they lost 13-2 at Quad Cities.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night. Clint Terry (1-2, 3.77) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Kernels have named Ryan Eades (5-8, 6.37) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 6:35pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm.

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 8, 2014


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