The South Bend Cubs have made a habit of scoring in the first inning during their series with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Cubs plated four runs in the first inning on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field and cruised to a 9-0 victory over the Rattlers.
South Bend (19-15) had one run in the first on Tuesday and opened Wednesday’s game with three runs. Wisconsin (20-15) held the Cubs off the board in the first inning on Thursday, but there was no stopping the Cubs on Friday night.
Kane Kepley and Ty Southisene had back-to-back singles to start the inning to give the Cubs runners at the corners with no outs. A walk to Cameron Sisneros loaded the bases. Kade Snell drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Leonel Espinoza followed with a three-run home run for the 4-0 lead.
Wisconsin starting pitcher Travis Smith settled in after the first inning to allow one more hit and no runs over his five innings.
The Rattlers offense struggled against South Bend starting pitcher Cole Reynolds. The lefty didn’t allow a hit until a Josiah Ragsdale single with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Reynolds would get out of the inning without allowing a run. He pitched five innings, walked two, hit one, and struck out five as he turned the 4-0 lead over to his bullpen.
Wisconsin put two runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Josh Adamczewski and Marco Dinges against Ethan Bell, who got the final out with a strikeout.
The Cubs duo of Kepley and Southisene started a rally in the top of the seventh against Rattler reliever Chandler Welch. Kepley doubled and Southisene was hit by a pitch to set the table. Sisneros cleared the table with a long home run to right-center and a 7-0 lead.
Later in the frame, Justin Stransky drove in a run with a triple.
Kepley, who is 10-for-18 with eleven runs scored in the series, added one more run on Friday with a two-out bloop single to drive in Alex Madera in the top of the ninth.
Adam Stone worked the final three innings of the game to earn his first save and hand the Rattlers their second shutout of the season.
Josiah Ragsdale had two of Wisconsin’s four hits on Friday night.
Game five of the series is Saturday afternoon. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Quinn Priester is scheduled to make the start for the Timber Rattlers on a Major League Rehabilitation Assignment. The Cubs have named Jostin Florentino (0-1, 9.82) as their starter. Game time is 1:10pm.
