The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers almost made it. They had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of game two of their doubleheader with the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park on Wednesday night. They just needed to get through a few more innings against the team with the best record in the High-A Central League to get a sweep of the twinbill.
It was not to be as the Bandits(64-33) scored three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to rally for a 5-3 win over the Rattlers.
Joey Wiemer got Wisconsin (47-51) off to a very fast start. The slugging outfielder hit the first pitch of game two out of the park for a lead-off homer and a 1-0 Rattlers lead.
Rattlers starting pitcher Joey Matulovich stranded two runners in each of the first two innings to keep the one-run advantage.
The Timber Rattlers added two runs in the top of the third. Zavier Warren drove in Antonio Piñero with a sacrifice fly for the first run. Joe Gray Jr knocked in Wiemer with a double a few moments later and Wisconsin was up 3-0,
The River Bandits rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The first two batters reached on singles. Then, Tucker Bradley hit a double off the wall in right-center to score two runs and knock Matulovich out of the game,
Harold Chirino entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen and gave up a single to Nick Loftin that put runners on the corners. Michael Massey tied the game with a sacrifice fly to score Bradley.
Bradley gave the River Bandits the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Chirino gave up a walk and a single with one out. He struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning. Then, Bradley hit a 1-1 pitch to the wall in left for an opposite field double to score both runners and Quad Cities was up 5-3 for their first lead of the day
Nathan Webb, the River Bandits reliever who had pitched a scoreless top of the sixth inning, went back out for the top of the seventh and retired Wisconsin in order to close out the game and gain the split.
The series continues Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Wisconsin has named Nick Bennett (2-3, 4.29) as their starting pitcher. The River Bandits will go with Dante Biasi (5-2, 3.47) as their starter. Game time is 6:30pm.
