The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Quad Cities River Bandits 4-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The River Bandits pulled away from Wisconsin with five runs in the seventh, three runs in the eighth, and five more runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Timber Rattlers 17-5.
Quad Cities (37-19) took a 3-0 lead with a pair of two-out, extra-base hits in the top of the first inning. Michael Massey sent a deep fly to right-center with two outs and a runner at second. Right fielder Carlos Rodríguez made a diving attempt but the ball eluded him for an RBI triple. Jake Means was next and he hit the very next pitch just over the wall in left for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead for the River Bandits.
The score went o 4-0 in the top of the second inning on a two-out, RBI single by Tucker Bradley.
Hayden Cantrelle put Wisconsin on the scoreboard with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the third.
The Rattlers (27-30) crept closer in the bottom of the fifth inning as Kekai Rios singled and Chad McClanahan doubled to start the inning. David Hamilton drove in Rios with a grounder to second.
That was as close as Wisconsin would get. Quad Cities pulled away with a five-run seventh inning to take a 9-2 lead and control of the game. Following the theme from the first two innings, four runs scored after there were two outs in the inning.
Quad Cities had runners at the corners with no outs and Massey sent a grounder that could have been a double play, but the Rattlers did not execute and only got the out at second as the runner from third scored to make it 5-2.
There were two on with two out when Jimmy Govern reached on an infield single and a throwing error let a run scored. Will Hancock was next and he singled to right and a miscommunication led to both runners scoring. Jeison Guzmán singled home the final run of the inning and it was 9-2.
The onslaught continued in the top of the eighth and Quad Cities loaded the bases with no outs. The next two batters were retired, but a wild pitch and a two-run double by Hancock pushed the lead out to 12-2.
Thomas Dillard gave the faithful something to cheer when he cracked a two-out, two-run home run to the Quad Cities bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning. The home was his ninth of the season.
The River Bandits hitters went back to work in the top of the ninth and poured on the offense. The first two batters reached on a walk and a hit batsman. Massey drove in another run with a double. Means walked. Eric Cole doubled in a run and Govern singled in another run.
That led to Wisconsin calling on catcher Nick Kahle to take over on the mound. Kahle got the first out on a sacrifice fly by Hancock for the first out of the inning and Hancock’s fourth RBI of the night. Kahle go he final two outs on grounder.
Wisconsin managed one more run in the bottom of the ninth inning on an RBI grounder by Rios.
The River Bandits collected 20 hits and went 10-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the game. They scored ten of their runs after there were two outs in an inning.
The teams have split the first four games of the series.
Game five of the series is Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Zach Mort (1-4, 6.86) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities has named Charlie Neuweiler, who will be making his High-A Central League debut, as their starting pitcher for Saturday. Game time is 6:35pm.
(Photo from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers)
