Four Cedar Rapids Kernels pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Timber Rattlers ended their two-week, twelve-game series with a 6-6 record.
The Kernels (44-34) scored single runs in the first two innings on RBI grounders. Matt Wallner drove in a run in the first inning on a ground out to second. Daniel Ozoria drove in a run with a grounder to third in the second inning and the Kernels were up 2-0.
Cedar Rapids added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Ozoria reached on lead-off double. Michael Helman singled to left and Ozoria scored on the play for a 3-0 advantage.
Wisconsin (37-40) was held off the scoreboard by Kernels starting pitcher Tyler Beck for the first five innings. The right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, walked two, allowed two hits, and struck out five before turning the game over to his bullpen.
Erik Manoah Jr was the first Kernels reliever and he worked 1-1/3 innings before leaving in the seventh with a runner on first. Osiris German got the final two outs of the seventh and the first out of the eighth after giving up a single. Zach Featherstone got the last two outs of the eighth and pitched around a one-out single by Carlos Rodríguez in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the save. The quartet of Kernels combined for twelve strikeouts and walked three.
Nick Bennett was the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six over four innings. Freisis Adames allowed a run on six hits over four innings as the first pitcher out of the Wisconsin bullpen. Nash Walters worked a scoreless ninth.
All four of Wisconsin’s hits were singles. Je’Von Ward, David Hamilton, Yeison Coca, and Rodríguez had Wisconsin’s hits in the game.
Sunday was the fourth time the Timber Rattlers have been shutout this season. It was first time they have been shutout at home since a 4-0 loss to West Michigan on May 23.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday when they help the Beloit Snappers open ABC Supply Stadium in Beloit, Wisconsin. Zach Mort (1-4, 6.91) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Game time is 6:35pm.
