Rattlers Comeback Falls Short
July 3, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
GRAND CHUTE, WI -- The Clinton LumberKings scored nine times in the first two innings. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scratched and clawed their way back to within three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run at the plate with no outs. But, Clinton held on for the 9-7 win Friday night at Time Warner Cable Field. Steve Moss had a three-run homer to put the L-Kings up nine in the top of the second inning and that proved to be too much for Wisconsin.
Clinton (44-34 overall, 4-4 second half) jumped on Wisconsin starting pitcher Efrain Nieves right away. A bunt single on the first pitch of the game, a walk, and another single loaded the bases with no outs. Nieves would get the first out, but Jake Shaffer lined a double to right that cleared the bases for a 3-0 Clinton lead. Later in the inning, Nate Tenbrink singled in the final run for a 4-0 advantage.
The Rattlers (39-39, 5-3) went down in order in the bottom of the first inning and the LumberKings went to right back to work in the top of the second inning.
Daniel Carroll tripled with one out in the top of the second inning and would score when the throw into the infield got away. Denny Almonte's RBI fielder choice with the bases loaded drove in a run. Then, Moss lifted his three-run homer to left and the LumberKings were up 9-0.
Wisconsin rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. John Delaney doubled in the first run and an RBI single by Michael Vass made the score 9-2.
The Rattlers chipped away again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Michael Marseco tripled in a run with one out and would score on a Juan Sanchez RBI grounder to make the score 9-4.
Marseco delivered again in the fifth inning. His two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth cut the Clinton lead to three runs.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Lorenzo Cain drew a leadoff walk against LumberKing closer Ruben Flores. Brett Lawrie followed with a double to put runners at second and third with no outs and the Rattlers down 9-6. Corey Kemp knocked in Cain with a grounder to short and Lawrie took third on the play that made it 9-7.
But, Flores struck out the next two batters to preserve the win, get his sixteenth save of the season, and give the LumberKings a split of the four game series.
Wisconsin starts a brief four game series with the Burlington Bees at Community Field on Saturday night. Trey Watten (3-6, 3.91) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Mike Montgomery (1-1, 1.93) is set to start for the Bees. Game time in Burlington, Iowa is 6:30pm.
The Rattlers return home for a six-game homestand against a pair of Eastern Division teams July 8-13. The West Michigan Whitecaps and South Bend Silver Hawks are in for three games each.
Midwest League Stories from July 3, 2009
- Santana Drops 6th Home Run in Snapper Loss - Beloit Sky Carp
- Rattlers Comeback Falls Short - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Gordon Powers Loons to Extra Innings Win - Great Lakes Loons
- Loons Outlast Error-Prone Lugnuts in 12, 5-3 - Great Lakes Loons
- Chiefs Win 7-1 Friday with Ramirez and Johnson - Peoria Chiefs
- Putkonen Shuts Out Silver Hawks - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Cougars Set Ballpark Record but Lose - Kane County Cougars
- Putkonen Shuts Out Silver Hawks - South Bend Silver Hawks
- TinCaps Edge Dayton Again, 5-3 - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- QC Puts on Show for Another Packed House - Quad Cities River Bandits
- TinCaps Top Dragons 5-3 to Win Series - Dayton Dragons
- Cougars Set Attendance Record - Kane County Cougars
- Bees Drop Series Finale and End up Splitting Series - Burlington Bees
- Dragons Get All-American Outfielder; Sappelt to Sarasota - Dayton Dragons
- Carrithers Promoted From Oneonta - West Michigan Whitecaps
- RHP Kyle Hurst joins Kernels, Mike Kohn to Rancho - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons GameDay - Dayton Dragons
- TinCaps Have Minors' Best Record - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Lorenzo Cain joins Rattlers tonight - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Bees July Big Give Promotion - Burlington Bees
- Bill Simonson and Jim Shorts to Call Whitecaps Game - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Tonight's Loons Game Sold Out - Great Lakes Loons
- Tickets Still Available for Upcoming Homestand - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Smith dominates in 5-1 win over Snappers - Cedar Rapids Kernels
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