The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers almost let one get away on Friday night against the South Bend Cubs at Neuroscience Group Field a Fox Cities Stadium. Wisconsin had an early 6-2 lead only to see the Cubs score seven unanswered runs over the middle part of the game to take a 9-6 lead. The Rattlers put the game back in the win column as they sent thirteen batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the eighth inning to rally past the Cubs for a 14-9 victory.
Wisconsin (33-36) scored three runs in the first inning. David Hamilton and Korry Howell walked to open the inning. Je’Von Ward drove in Hamilton with a grounder and Joe Gray Jr. homered over the wall in center for a 3-0 lead.
South Bend (32-37) scored two runs on a home run by Dean Nevarez in the top of the second to close the gap.
The Rattlers put three more runs across home plate on two home runs in their half of the second. Yeison Coca started the inning with a home run to the Wisconsin bullpen. Hamilton drew another walk and Howell crushed a 3-0 pitch over the wall in center for his twelfth home run of the season.
The Cubs came back with three runs of their own in the top of the third inning. Nelson Velazquez knocked in the first two runs with a double. A sacrifice fly by Ryan Reynolds got Velazquez across the plate and Wisconsin’s lead was down to 6-5.
South Bend scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to take their first lead of the game. The inning started with consecutive singles against reliever Freisis Adames. to put runners on the corners. Josue Huma singled with one out to score the tying run and send the go-ahead run to third base. Adames got the second out with a strikeout, but a wild pitch with the next batter at the plate let the go-ahead run score.
A two-out walk by reliever Brady Schanuel in the top of the seventh inning was followed by a long home run to right field by Yonathan Perlaza. The homer was the third hit of the game for Perlaza and the Cubs were up 9-6.
Thomas Dillard started the bottom of the eighth inning with a single against Samuel Reyes. The next batter was retired, but Reyes walked Carlos Rodríguez and LG Castillo on 3-2 pitches to load the bases. Chad McClanahan was next and he drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to force home Dillard and the Rattlers were down 9-7.
That brought Coca back to the plate and he sent a chopper to Huma. The throw to second was wild and sailed into foul territory down the line in left field and that allowed Rodríguez, Castillo, and McClanahan to score and Wisconsin led 10-9.
Hamilton and Howell continued the rally with consecutive RBI singles for a 12-9 lead. Two more walks reloaded the bases and Rodríguez capped the inning with a double off the wall in left for a 14-9 lead.
Nash Walters pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning to close out the comeback victory.
Castillo had three hits for Wisconsin while Howell went 2-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases, three runs scored, and three RBI. Rodríguez added two hits and Hamilton stole two bases while scoring three runs for the Rattlers.
Game five of the series is Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Victor Castañeda (2-4, 3.54) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. The Cubs have named Max Bain (2-5, 6.66) as their starter.
