Lansing sends Rattlers to fourth loss in a row
June 11, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
LANSING, MI -- Anthony Hatch knocked in three runs and the Lansing Lugnuts beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-4 Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. Kristian Bell allowed three runs over six innings for his fifth win of the year. The loss was the fourth straight for the Wisconsin.
Casey Craig put the Rattlers (25-38) up 2-0 in the first inning with his bat and his feet. Craig drove in Jeff Dominguez with a one-out double. Later in the inning, Craig stole third and scored on a wild throw.
Rattler starter Nick Allen was making his first start of the season after twenty relief appearances. His first two innings against the Lugnuts were scoreless, but he ran into trouble in the third.
Back-to-back singles by the eighth and ninth hitters in the Lansing lineup set the stage. Sean Shoffit reached, when second baseman Luis Valbuena couldn't handle a liner that could have gone for a double play.
Allen walked Jacob Butler to force in the first run of the inning. Anthony Hatch and Joey Metropoulos had consecutive sacrifice flies to put Lansing in front 3-2. An RBI single by Brian Pettway pushed the final run of the inning across the plate.
Wisconsin got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth. Curtis Ledbetter grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with runners at first and third allowing the runner from third to score.
But, Lansing (38-24) scored three times in their half of the fourth. An RBI double by Gonzalez off reliever Justin Ockerman made the score 5-3. Later in the inning, Hatch doubled to left with Butler at first and Gonzalez at third. Gonzalez scored easily. The throw to the plate from left beat Butler as he tried to score, but he crashed into Rattler catcher Chao Kuan Wu and jarred the ball loose to score the run to make it 7-3 Lansing.
The Rattlers got closer on an RBI double by Jeff Dominguez in the top of the seventh inning. The double extended his hitting streak to seven games. But, that was as close as the Rattlers could get.
Game three of the series is Tuesday night. Ruben Flores (0-5, 5.55ERA) takes the mound as the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Russ Savickas (2-1, 2-1, 2.80ERA) is slated to start for Lansing. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
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