The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers staged their biggest comeback of the season and spoiled the debut of ABC Supply Stadium, the new home of the Beloit Snappers, on Tuesday night. Wisconsin trailed 5-0 before tying the game in the sixth inning and putting the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the tenth. Joe Gray Jr. had four RBI for Wisconsin.
The Snappers (35-44) took the lead with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning. Kameron Misner dumped a single down the line in left with two outs. Will Banfield followed with a double to the gap in left-center and Misner scored easily for the 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin’s offense struggled through the first five innings against Beloit starting pitcher Zach King. The lefty retried the first fifteen batters he faced.
Beloit added to their lead with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Misner drove in the first run with a RBI double. Troy Johnston knocked in the second run of the inning with a single and that knocked Wisconsin starting pitcher Zach Mort out of the game.
Reliever Harold Chirinos entered the game and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. He walked the next batter to force in a run. Then, Chirino committed a balk to let in the fourth run of the inning and the Snappers were up 5-0. Chirino ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
King retired the first Rattler he faced in the sixth inning before walking Nick Kahle to end his streak at sixteen in a row. King got the second out of the inning when Antonio Piñero grounded into a force play at second. King would not get the third out.
Korry Howell started the surge with a single to right to break up the no-hit bid. Hayden Cantrelle was next and he walked to load the bases. Next up was Gray and he got the Timber Rattlers on the scoreboard with a two-run single.
Thomas Dillard followed with an RBI single to right and Wisconsin (38-40) had their deficit down to two runs.
Je’Von Ward reloaded the bases with an infield single. Then, LG Castillo singled to left to drive in Gray and Dillard to tie the game 5-5.
The game remained tied until the top of the tenth inning. The inning started with Carlos Rodríguez at second base and got better for Wisconsin when Kahle walked on four pitches. Piñero was asked to bunt and he dutifully squared to lay down a sacrifice. However, he had to get out of the way of an inside pitch from Tyler Mitzel and the ball went to the backstop to allow both runners to move up a base and force the Snappers to bring their infield in on the grass.
Piñero dropped a single into short left and Rodríguez scored the run to put the Rattlers in the lead while Kahle took third base.
Mitzel balked on a pickoff move to first and Kahle trotted home for a 7-5 lead. Then, Howell reached on an infield single.
Gray stepped into the box with one out and drove a double to left. Piñero and Howell scored without a play for a 9-5 advantage.
Taylor Floyd, who had pitched a scoreless ninth inning, retired all three batters he faced in the tenth to close out the game.
Wisconsin’s defense turned three double plays and four Rattlers pitchers combined for twelve strikeouts in the game. The offense scored all of their runs and collected all of their hits in just two innings – the sixth and the tenth. They made the most of those two innings as they were 7-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the game to pick up their first extra-inning victory of the season. Wisconsin is now 1-5 in games that go to extra frames.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night. Joey Matulovich (1-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Beloit has named Antonio Velez (3-2, 3,86) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm.
