MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Lugnuts Sweep Wisconsin

Published on July 15, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


LANSING, MI -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a sloppy first inning and a rough eighth inning Sunday against the Lansing Lugnuts. Those two bad frames were enough for the Lugnuts as they beat the Rattlers 6-2 at Oldsmobile Park. Sean Shoffit had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for the Lugnuts. Chris Reddout got the win in relief to give Lansing their fifth consecutive victory. The loss was the eighth straight for Wisconsin.

The game did not start well for Wisconsin. Starting pitcher Anthony Varvaro issued a walk to lead off batter Scott Campbell. A throwing error on Rattler catcher Juan Beltran on a pickoff allowed Campbell to take second. Then, Varvaro walked Travis Snider and on ball four Beltran was charged with a passed ball to allow Campbell to take third.

Next, Varvaro was charged with an error when he could not handle a throw to first from second baseman Ron Garth. On that play, a grounder off the bat of Jonathan Jaspe, Campbell scored the first run of the game. The scored advanced to 2-0 when Snider reached on another passed ball against Beltran. The final run of the inning scored on a triple by Shoffit.

The Rattlers (30-60 overall, 8-14 second half) rallied for two runs in the third inning. Garth's RBI grounder got one run home. An RBI single by Joe White pulled the Rattlers to within one run.

Then, the game settled down. Varvaro allowed just one base runner, a two-out walk, in his final four innings of work. Lansing starter Ray Gonzalez left after four innings. Then, Reddout came into the game and retired all nine Rattler batters he faced.

Oak Creek, Wisconsin native Tony Butler made his first appearance since June 5 when he came on in relief of Varvaro in the sixth. Butler worked a 1-2-3 sixth and pitched a scoreless seventh despite walking a batter and hitting a batter.

Reed Eastley reached base for Wisconsin to start the eighth inning when he was hit by a Ron Lowe pitch. But, Garth grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to stop that threat.

Lansing (49-43, 14-9) padded their lead in the bottom of the eighth. Raul Barron doubled to start the inning against Mike Wagner. After a groundout and an intentional walk put runners at the corners, Shoffit singled to center to drive in Barron for a 4-2 lead.

Shawn Kelley relieved Wagner and gave up a single to load the bases with one out. Kelley got a strikeout for out number two, but Jonathan Diaz singled on a 3-2 pitch to drive in a pair of runs and Lansing was up 6-2.

Po-Hsuan Keng worked a scoreless ninth inning to finish off Lansing's four game sweep of Wisconsin.

The Rattlers are off on Monday before beginning a series against the Beloit Snappers Tuesday night at Pohlman Field. Ricky Orta (3-3, 5.64) is the scheduled starter for the Rattlers. Beloit has not named their starting pitcher for that game yet. Game time is 7:00pm in Beloit.

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Midwest League Stories from July 15, 2007


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