"V" is for Valbuena and Victory
April 21, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN -- Wisconsin Timber Rattler second baseman Luis Valbuena drove in three runs and scored another as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the South Bend Silver Hawks Friday night at Coveleski Regional Stadium. Jose Escalona got the win as the Rattler starting pitcher as he allowed just one run on three hits and struck out five over five innings. The Rattlers built a 6-1 lead, but had to hold off a late South Bend rally to collect their third straight win.
Valbuena continued his streak of hot hitting with a two-out, two-run triple into the right field corner to give Wisconsin a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Ron Garth drove in Valbuena with an infield single for a 3-0 lead. Valbuena has seven RBI in his last five games.
South Bend (5-10) rallied for a run off Escalona in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Hawks loaded the bases with one out on a single and a pair of walks. Ricardo Cruz pushed a run across with a sacrifice fly.
Wisconsin (7-8) got that run back in the top of the fifth inning and Valbuena was involved again. The Rattler second baseman drove in the fourth run of the game for the Rattlers with a sacrifice fly.
Escalona and the Rattler bullpen kept the Silver Hawks off the scoreboard through the middle innings.
The Rattlers padded their lead with two more runs in the top of the ninth inning. Alex Gary had a sacrifice fly to knock home one. Robby Hudson smoked a double into the right field corner for an RBI and his third hit of the game. The Rattlers would need those runs.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Silver Hawks had runners at first and third with one out. Pedro Ciriaco sent a line drive to the right centerfield gap. Alex Gary appeared to have made a diving catch and he quickly got the ball back into the infield to double off the runner at first to end the game. However, there was no clear signal from the umpires and after a lot of confusion Ciriaco had an RBI double and South Bend had runners at second with only one out. Greg Thomson followed with an RBI single to right and suddenly the Hawks were within 6-3 and had the tying run at the plate.
Justin Upton, the number one overall pick in the 2005 draft, was making his professional debut in the game and he stepped to the plate as that tying run.
Rattler reliever Edgar Guaramato entered the game and struck out Upton for the second out of the inning. Upton went 0-for-5 in the game with a pair of strikeouts.
Guaramato finished off the Hawks by striking out Trey Hendricks for the final out of the game.
Game two of the series is Saturday night. Jason Snyder (1-0, 4.02ERA) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Eduardo Baeza (1-1, 3.18ERA) is slated to start for the Silver Hawks. Game time is 5:30pm CDT.
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