A 28-0 hole was too much for the Green Bay Packers to climb out of on Sunday, eventually losing to the Minnesota Vikings 31-29.

By the time the Packers cracked the scoreboard with a late touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Jayden Reed in the closing seconds of the first half, Sam Darnold had thrown threw three touchdown passes for the Vikings, Jordan Addison was a part of two touchdowns in his return to the lineup, and Brayden Narveson missed two field goals. 

A scoreless third quarter set the stage for a fourth quarter that saw the Packers outscore the Vikings 22-3 thanks to three touchdown passes from Love, two of which went to Dontayvion WIcks. The missed field goals came back to hurt the Packers as a Daniel Whelan attempt at an onside kick was easily caught, cueing the victory formation for the Vikings.

Love threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns in his return to the line up, but his three interceptions proved fatal in the loss. He will likely get a chance to right those wrongs in Los Angeles next Sunday at 3:25 p.m. when the Packers play against the Rams.

The Green Bay Packers will play their first NFC North opponent of the season on Sunday when they Minnesota Vikings come to Lambeau Field.

For the second straight week, Malik Willis engineered a win with Jordan Love still on the sideline, this time a 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Willis was efficient once again as he completed 68 percent of his passes for 202 yards and a score. He also was on the doorstep of a Packers quarterback rushing record with 73 yards on six carries and a touchdown. Jaire Alexander also got the Packers on the scoreboard with an interception returned for a touchdown.

Despite the Packers' winning streak, they still find themselves looking up at the Vikings who are 3-0 on the season. That includes dismantling the previously unbeaten Houston Texans last week and beating Super Bowl participant San Francisco the week before.

Kickoff is set for noon. 

For the second straight week, Malik Willis engineered a win with Jordan Love still on the sideline, this time a 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans.

The Packers and Titans traded touchdowns on their opening drives with Willis cashing in from five yards on the ground to open things up for the Green and Gold. Thanks to a pair of field goals and an interception returned for a touchdown by Jaire Alexander, the Packers closed out the half with 13 consecutive points to take a 20-7 lead into the locker room.

The Packers would extend the lead further after being bailed out on a Titans penalty on a missed field goal attempt by Brayden Narveson. Emmanuel Wilson made the Titans pay when he scored on a 30-yard screen pass from Willis to make it 27-7. The Titans would tighten things up in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Will Levis to Deandre Hopkins before Narveson kicked one last field goal to cap the scoring.

Willis was efficient once again as he completed 68 percent of his passes for 202 yards and a score. He also was on the doorstep of a Packers quarterback rushing record with 73 yards on six carries and a touchdown.

The Packers return to Lambeau next Sunday when they welcome the Minnesota Vikings for a noon start.

The Green Bay Packers will go for their second win of the season on Sunday when they play the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

The Green Bay Packers controlled the ground game and the clock in its 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers used six players to rush 53 times for 261 yards, including 151 yards from Josh Jacobs on 32 carries. The 53 rushes were the most the Packers had done in a game since the mid-1970s. The Packers also controlled the time of possession, holding onto the ball for over 40 minutes. Malik Willis threw for just over 120 yards on 12-14 passing in his Packers debut. He could be in line for his second straight if it is determined that Jordan Love is still not ready to go after his MCL sprain.

The Titans have found ways to lose while leading late in their losses this year. Will Levis' pick-six led to the Titans' season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears while his fumble set up the game-winning score for the New York Jets. They lost both games by 24-17 scores.

Sunday's game is a noon kickoff. 

The 2024-2025 season marks the Green Bay Gamblers 31st season in Northeast Wisconsin.  Since the puck dropped at the Brown County Arena in 1994, the Gamblers have been one of the premiere hockey organizations in North America.  We are excited to build on that mystique when the puck drops on Thursday, September 19 at the Fall Classic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The summer saw change behind the Gamblers bench, as Mike Leone departed Green Bay for the head coaching position with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Americans are the top farm team of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.  Leone joins Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay/NHL), Derek Lalonde (Detroit/NHL) and Pat Mikesch (Toledo/ECHL), as former Gambler’s personnel who are current head coaches at the professional level. 

Pat McCadden was named the Gamblers head coach/general manager in late June.  McCadden served as the Gamblers assistant and associate head coach the past two years.  The St. Norbert alum, played two seasons (2008-10) for the Gamblers under two-time Stanley Cup champion Jon Cooper, serving as captain for the 2010 Anderson and Clark Cup championship team.  McCadden is a winner both on and off the ice. Under his direction, we have a team driven to raise another Clark Cup Championship banner in the Resch Center rafters.

New to the Gamblers staff is Brian Gibbons and Green Bay native Tony Kujava.  Gibbons, spent the past four years as an assistant coach at Bethel University. During his time at Bethel, team’s winning percentage skyrocketed from 47% to 70% which marked the highest in program history. Gibbons will serve as an assistant coach working with the forwards and penalty kill. Kujava replaces fellow Green Bay native Chris Nell, who left to take a coaching position at Colgate University, as the team’s goalie coach. The Notre Dame Academy alum, played for both the Gamblers and St. Norbert.

Mason Baptista returns for his second season as an assistant coach with the Gamblers.  Baptista works with the defensemen and power play.  Like MaCadden and Kujava, Baptista played his collegiate hockey at St. Norbert.  Director of Scouting Kirk Luedeke returns for his 3rd season with the team. 

New to the scouting staff, is a familiar name to Gambler fans, Jon Rogger.   As an assistant coach with the Gamblers (2008-12), Rogger was behind the bench for two Anderson and Clark Cup championship teams.  Rogger is currently a Head Coach/GM with the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers AAA program.

The Gamblers start the season in Pittsburgh, PA at the USHL Fall Classic, September 18-22.  Team hits the road for a pair of games in Lincoln, Nebraska, before returning home for a weekend series, Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, versus the Omaha Lancers. 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers dropped Game Three of the Midwest League Championship Series 9-4 to the Lake County Captains Wednesday Night at Classic Park.  The Captains claimed the Midwest League title with their victory that featured a big five-run inning for the home team.

Wisconsin had the lead-off man aboard in the second, third, and fourth inning.  However, Lake County starter Dylan DeLucia kept the Rattlers off the scoreboard each time.  DeLucia would retire the first two batters in the top of the fifth and leave the game with 84 pitches under his belt.

Luis Lara drew a walk against reliever Jay Driver and stole second to keep the inning alive.  Cooper Pratt sent a grounder to short, but Angel Genao bounced the throw to first and Ralphy Velazquez couldn’t make the scoop.  Lara scampered home with the run as the ball rolled free for a 1-0 lead.

Lake County tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.  Jonah Advincula, who homered in Game Two last night, lined a long homer to right to even the score.

The game turned in the Captains favor in the sixth.  Mason Molina, the seventh round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024 draft, made his Timber Rattlers debut when he came on in relief of starting pitcher Will Rudy.

Genao greeted Molina with a double to the wall.  Wuilfredo Antunez followed with a double to the corner in right to score Genao with the go-ahead run.  Molina walked the next batter, and he was replaced by Jeferson Figueroa.

Jake Fox knocked in Antunez with another double to make it 3-1.  Then, Velazquez made up for not making the scoop in the top of the fifth by hitting a three-run home run to right for a 6-1 advantage.

The Timber Rattlers made it interesting in the top of the eighth with a three-run rally against Steven Perez.  Jadher Areinamo doubled for his third hit – and second double – of the game.  Yophery Rodriguez followed with an RBI single.  Matt Wood also singled.  Perez got the first out of the inning with a strikeout before being replaced by Zach Jacobs.

Jacobs, who had allowed an RBI, go-ahead double to Pratt in Game One on Sunday, got the second out on a deep fly to right off the bat of pinch-hitter Jesus Chirinos.  Then, Jacobs hit Eduardo Garcia to load the bases.

Lara lined a single to right to drive in two runs and bring Pratt to the plate as the potential go-ahead run.  Jacobs won this round as Pratt’s hard grounder to short was fielded by Genao and his throw to first was on target for the final out of the frame.

Lake County put the game away in the bottom of the eighth.  Fox hit a lead-off homer against Tyler Bryant for a 7-4 lead.  Bryant retired the next two batters before issuing a walk and giving up a single.  Travis Bazzana and Genao each had back-to-back RBI singles for a 9-4 lead.

Shawn Rapp closed out the game with a perfect ninth to give the Captains their second Midwest League championship.  Their first was in 2010, their first year in the league after moving over from the South Atlantic League.

Lake County went 5-for-6 with runners in scoring position and half of their twelve hits were for extra bases.  Wisconsin had opportunities but stranded ten runners as they went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the 2025 season at Neuroscience Group Field on Friday, April 4.  They will host the Cedar Rapids Kernels at 6:40pm.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Lake County Captains will play one game for the Midwest League pennant on Wednesday night.  Wisconsin’s chance to close out their second league title went by the boards as the Captains racked up thirteen hits and outscored the Rattlers 6-2 on Tuesday Night in Game Two at Classic Park.  The best-of-three Championship Series will go to a decisive Game Three.

The Timber Rattlers grabbed the lead in the first inning.  Cooper Pratt drew a one-out walk on four pitches.  Lake County starter Matt Wilkinson hit Luke Adams in the leg with his next delivery.  Two pitches later Jadher Areinamo lined a single to left to score Pratt with the first run of the game.

The Captains answered in the bottom of the first inning.  Travis Bazzana drew a four-pitch walk from Wisconsin starter Alexander Cornielle.  Angel Genao doubled to left-center to put runners on second and third.  Wuilfredo Antunez grounded out to short to score Bazzana.  Lake County loaded the bases on a hit batsman and a walk from Cornielle, but a strikeout ended the frame with the score even.

Adams, who was hit forty times during the regular season to set a Midwest League record, was hit again with one out in the third inning.  He promptly stole second and moved to third on a fly to right from Areinamo.  Yophery Rodriguez lined a 3-0 pitch from Wilkinson to center to give the Rattlers the 2-1 advantage.

Jonah Advincula put Lake County ahead for the first time in the game with a two-out, two-run home run to right in the bottom of the third.

Rodriguez nearly tied the game in the top of the fifth inning.  Areinamo was at second with two outs and Rodriguez lined a single to left.  Areinamo raced for the plate and the throw from Esteban González was a little off line.  However, catcher Jacob Cozart was able to tag Areinamo on the heel just before Areinamo touched the plate on a headfirst slide.

Antunez added an insurance run for the Captains in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI ground-rule double with two outs that scored Bazzana from second base.

Wilkinson retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the seventh before turning the game over to his bullpen.  He scattered seven hits, two walks, and two hit batsmen over 6-2/3 innings, his longest outing as a professional.  Wilkinson had five strikeouts.

Adam Tulloch took over the game for the Captains.  He got the final out of the seventh and pitched a perfect eighth to maintain the lead.

Tulloch’s offense gave him some insurance in the bottom of the eighth.  Lake County loaded the bases on a single and consecutive walks by Bayden Root.  Brailin Rodriguez was called into the game to stop the rally.  But Genao lined a ground rule double to left-center to score two runs.  Rodriguez struck out the next three batters to end the inning with the Rattlers trailing 6-2.

The Rattlers could do nothing against Tulloch in the ninth as he set down the side in order.  Wilkinson and Tulloch combined to retire the final twelve Wisconsin hitters of the game.

Hall and Rodriguez each collected two hits to lead the Timber Rattlers offense.  Wisconsin pitchers, who got away with ten walks on their Game One win on Sunday night at home, walked six in Game Two with three of those walks scoring. 

Game Three is set for Classic Park on Wednesday night.  Will Rudy is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Dylan DeLucia is the scheduled starter for the Captains.  Game time is 5:35pm CDT.  

It will be a quick turnaround for some of the area's cross country teams after racing on Friday in Neenah or Saturday in Manitowoc.

Algoma, Sevastopol, Kewaunee, and Southern Door will be joined by Heritage Christian, Living Word Lutheran, St. John's Northwestern Academies, Valley Christian, Campbellsport, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, Kohler, Laconia, Manitowoc Lutheran, Oostburg, Ozaukee, Random Lake, St. Lawrence Seminary, Sheboygan County Christian, Winnebago Lutheran Academy, Washington County Home School Athletics, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Milwaukee Lutheran, St. Mary's Springs Academy, Reedsville, and Providence Academy (Green Bay) for an invitational at Sheboygan Lutheran Academy. The first race begins at 4:30 p.m.

The Green Bay Packers controlled the ground game and the clock in its 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Packers used six players to rush 53 times for 261 yards, including 151 yards from Josh Jacobs on 32 carries. The 53 rushes were the most the Packers had done in a game since the mid-1970s. The Packers also controlled the time of possession, holding onto the ball for over 40 minutes.

Despite those two dominating stats, it did not necessarily translate into points for the Packers, as they were still 1-3 in the red zone. It was 3-0 in the first quarter when Malik Willis threw the first touchdown pass of his career to Dontayvion Wicks to make it 10-. Willis would throw just over 120 yards on 12-14 passing.  Brayden Narveson kicked two more field goals to finish the day 3-4, kicking and making it a 16-3 game in the early stages of the fourth quarter.

The Colts would tighten things in the game's final two minutes when Anthony Richardson found Alec Pierce for a four-yard touchdown, but Richardson's three interceptions earlier in the contest proved too much.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers gave their fans an encore.  In their previous home playoff game, the Rattlers defeated the Quad Cities River Bandits 7-6 with a three-run ninth inning to win the West Division Finals.  On Sunday night, in front of 4,183 fans at Neuroscience Group Field, the Timber Rattlers edged the Lake County Captains 5-4 in Game One of the Midwest League Finals, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

The teams entered the game, their first meeting since May 11, 2019, with nearly identical records from the regular season.  The Captains finished the season 77-53 while the Rattlers were 77-54.  Wisconsin was 39-26 at home while the Captains were 38-28 on the road during the regular season.  In the playoffs, both teams were coming off two-game sweeps in very competitive series with all four games in the first round being decided by one run.

Lake County loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning.  Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Birchard got the second out on a strikeout.  Then, Ralphy Velazquez reached on an infield single to score the first run with another run scoring on an error on the play for a 2-0 lead.

Wisconsin responded in the bottom of the first to take the lead.  Consecutive walks to Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt to open the frame set the stage for Luke Adams, who singled to right to score Lara and get Pratt to third.  Later in the inning, with Pratt at third and Adams at second, Yophery Rodriguez, in his Timber Rattlers debut, grounded out to Velazquez at first.  Velazquez stepped on first for the second out and threw home, but Pratt beat the throw to score the tying run.

Matt Wood gave Wisconsin the lead with a single to center to score Adams moments later.

The Captains tied the game with a run in the top of the second.  Wuilfredo Antunez knocked in the run to even the score with a single.

The Rattlers went back in front in the bottom of the second.  Tayden Hall opened the inning with a walk.  Hedbert Pérez was next, and he ripped a double off the wall in right.  Antunez had trouble picking up the ball on the warning track and that allowed Hall to score for the 4-3 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Lake County tied the game without a hit.  Wisconsin reliever Stiven Cruz walked Jonah Advincula, the number nine hitter in the Captains order, to start the inning.  A balk by Cruz and a grounder to the right side by Travis Bazzana allowed Advincula to third base with one out.  Angel Genao drove in Advincula with a sacrifice fly to left to even the score.

Both teams left the bases loaded in the seventh inning.  The Captains left the lead run at second in the eighth.

Hall, who started the game-winning rally in the bottom of the ninth against Quad Cities in Game Two of the Western Finals on Thursday night, singled to start the bottom the eighth.  A wild pitch moved him to second, but he would be out trying to advance to third on a grounder to short off the bat of Jheremy Vargas. 

Vargas, who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Pérez in the sixth inning moved to second on a grounder by Lara to set up the drama for Pratt.

The Wisconsin shortstop, who knocked in the tying run in the ninth inning in Game Two against Quad Cities, lined an 0-1 pitch off the back corner of the third base bag.  The ball kicked past the tarp and against the fence for an RBI double to score Vargas with the go-ahead run.

Tyler Bryant, who saved Game One of the West Finals at Quad Cities on September 19, entered the game for the top of the ninth.  Antunez started the top of the ninth with a single before Alex Mooney sent a slow grounder to short.  Pratt started a 6-4-3 double play for two outs.  Then, Byrant struck out Jake Fox on three pitches to end the game.

Wisconsin used six pitchers who combined to walk ten, but also strikeout fourteen while holding the Captains to five hits.  Lake County stranded ten runners and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Dikember Sánchez pitched around a one-out walk in the top of the eighth to earn the win.

Luke Adams was 3-for-5 with four stolen bases, a run scored, and an RBI for the Timber Rattlers to lead their ten-hit attack.

Wisconsin is one win away from their second Midwest League pennant.  The Rattlers last won the league title in 2012.

Game Two of the Midwest League Championship Series is set for Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday night.  Alexander Cornielle has been announced as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Matt Wilkinson is the announced starter for the Captains.  Game time is 5:35pm CDT.

Surviving life without Jordan Love begins Sunday at Lambeau Field when the Green Bay Packers host the Indianapolis Colts.

Saquon Barkley continued his terror of the Green Bay Packers' defense, this time leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 34-29 win in Brazil Friday night. Love was inaccurate, but his two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed kept the Packers in the game up until his injury in the final seconds of the game. The team will likely lean on Malik Willis behind center while relying on Josh Jacobs to carry the offense after he found his rhythm in the second half against the Eagles.

The Colts allowed a league-high 159 in their loss to the Houston Texans in week one. Quarterback Anthony Richardson had a similar stat line to Love in his season opener, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and an interception en route to 212 passing yard day.

Kickoff is set for noon.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will face the Lake County Captains, an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, in the best-of-three Midwest League Championship Series.

The Timber Rattlers rallied from deficits of 3-2,4-3, and 6-4 to defeat the Quad Cities River Bandits 7-6 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field in front of a playoff record crowd for the franchise to clinch the West Division title with a sweep in the best-of-three series.  Luke Adams capped the thrilling three-run rally with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in the winning run and set off a wild celebration.

Game One is set for Sunday, September 15 at Neuroscience Group Field.  Game time is 6:40pm CDT.  Game Two will be at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday, September 17 at 5:35pm CDT.  If Game Three is necessary, The Captains will host Wisconsin on Wednesday, September 18 at 5:35pm CDT.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied from deficits of 3-2,4-3, and 6-4 to defeat the Quad Cities River Bandits 7-6 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field in front of a playoff record crowd for the franchise to clinch the West Division title with a sweep in the best-of-three series.  Luke Adams capped the thrilling three-run rally with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in the winning run and set off a wild celebration.

Adams electrified the record crowd of 4,428 with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to put the Rattlers up 2-0.  Adams lined the payoff pitch from Ethan Bosacker past the light tower beyond left field wall with an exit velocity of 107 mph.

Wisconsin starting pitcher Will Rudy kept the River Bandits off the scoreboard through 4-2/3 innings.  He had just struck out Omar Hernandez with Sam Kulasingam at first in the top of the fifth for his eighth strikeout. Then, he issued a four-pitch walk to Justin Johnson to extend the inning and Quad Cities took advantage.

Spencer Nivens singled to right on 2-2 pitch to right field to score Kulasingam.  The ball got away from catcher Matt Wood on the tag attempt.  Johnson was at third and Nivens wound up at second.  Jac Caglianone followed with a two-run single to push both runners home to give the River Bandits a 3-2 lead.

Quad Cities had a chance to add to their lead in the top of the seventh with runners at the corners and two outs.  Aaron Rund entered from the Wisconsin bullpen to face Nivens, who grounded a ball up the middle.  Second baseman Jadher Areinamo made a great stop and flipped to second for an out.  Cooper Pratt fired low to first on the turn and Tayden Hall held the base for a spectacular inning-ending double play to send the game to the seventh inning stretch.

The defensive play gave the Rattlers bats a lift and started an amazing run of back-and-forth between the teams.

Jheremy Vargas blooped a double to right to score Eduardo Garcia with the tying run in the bottom of the seventh.

Rund retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the eighth but issued a walk to Carson Roccaforte.  Shervyen Newton followed with a double to left that scored Roccaforte.

In the bottom of the eighth, Cooper Pratt walked to start the frame but was only at second base with two outs.  Ram?n Rodríguez, who had entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and grounded into a double play, laced a double off the wall in left to score Pratt and tie the game 4-4.

The Bandits went back in front in the top of the tenth against Bayden Root.  A single, a wild pitch, an error, and defensive indifference had Quad Cities with runners at second and third with no outs.  Nivens lifted a ball to center that was deep enough to score the runner from third.  The runner at second also tagged and the throw went to third.  However, the throw was wild, and that runner also scored for a 6-4 lead.  Root hit the next batter before getting the final two outs.

The Timber Rattlers immediately put the pressure on Quad Cities.  Hall drew a lead-off walk.  Vargas singled.  Pinch-hitter Hedbert Pérez also singled to load the bases with no outs.

Luis Lara grounded into a force play at second to score Hall.  He would steal second to put the winning run at second.

Pratt lined a single to Kulasingam in right field.  That hit scored Vargas with the tying run.  However, Kulasingam made a perfect throw to the plate to nail Lara for the second out and keep the Bandits season alive.  Pratt took second on the throw home to set the stage for Adams.

One pitch later, the Rattlers were celebrating.  Adams dropped a single into right and Kulasingam had no chance to catch Pratt.  Adams rounded first and raced to center field to celebrate with the Wisconsin relievers who were spilling out of the bullpen to revel in the victory.

Pratt was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs scored, and an RBI.  Adams was 2-for-4 with three RBI.  Wisconsin was 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

The previous playoff attendance record for the Timber Rattlers was set on September 8, 2005 when 2,887 fans turned out to see the Timber Rattlers play the Beloit Snappers in Game Two of a Midwest League first round series.

The Timber Rattlers will face the Lake County Captains, an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, in the best-of-three Midwest League Championship Series.  Game One is set for Sunday, September 15 at Neuroscience Group Field.  Game time is 6:40pm CDT.  Game Two will be at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday, September 17 at 5:35pm CDT.  If Game Three is necessary, The Captains will host Wisconsin on Wednesday, September 18 at 5:35pm CDT.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers won their first playoff game since 2012 with a dramatic, nerve-jangling 1-0 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits in Game One of the Western Division Finals on Tuesday Night at Modern Woodmen Park.  Jadher Areinamo’s solo homer in the fifth inning was the only run of the game and one of Wisconsin’s two hits in the contest.

Alexander Cornielle, Mark Manfredi, and Tyler Bryant were the trio of Wisconsin hurlers to get in and out of trouble through nine innings to maintain the lead all the way to the end as they pitched around five hits and six walks while holding the River Bandits to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Quad Cities starting pitcher Ryan Ramsey didn’t allow a hit through four innings.  Wisconsin had just one base runner, a lead-off walk in the fourth that was erased on a double play.  Ramsey would strikeout nine over six innings.

The River Bandits had chances with two outs in the third and fourth inning against Cornielle.  Quad Cities had runners at first and second with two outs in the third and Cornielle struck out Jac Caglianone, the #1 prospect of the Kansas City Royals, to end the inning.  Cornielle stranded a runner at third when he got Dustin Dickerson to foul out in the fourth.
 

Jadher Areinamo crushed the first pitch of the top of the fifth inning for a long home run.  Areinamo’s solo shot was the only hit Wisconsin had against Ramsey, but it was enough for a 1-0 lead.

Cornielle gave up a two-out single to Justin Johnson in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Spencer Nivens was down in the count 1-2 before fouling off six straight pitches.  Cornielle missed with the next offering before getting Nivens to swing and miss at the twelfth pitch of the at bat to end the inning.

Manfredi relieved Cornielle with two outs and a runner at first in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Manfredi walked the first batter he faced before striking out Dustin Dickerson to end the inning.

Sam Kulasingam singled to start the bottom of the seventh.  Quad Cities asked Omar Hernandez to bunt Kulasingam over to second.  Hernandez popped up his attempt with first baseman Tayden Hall charging down the line.  Hall made a diving grab and fired to first with Areinamo covering for the double play. 

However, the next two batters, Johnson and Nivens reached on a single and a walk.  Manfredi got the final out when Caglianone went after the first pitch and popped out to third.  Manfredi would work a perfect eighth inning and turned the ball over to Bryant for the bottom of the ninth.

Dickerson lined a 1-2 pitch to the middle of the wall in left for a leadoff double.  Kulasingam was not asked to bunt, and he nearly won the game for the Bandits.  He hit a towering fly to the corner in right where the outfield fence is only 318 feet from home plate.  The ball died in the glove of Eduarqui Fernandez about two feet short of a walkoff homer.  Dickerson moved to third on the play.  Then, the real drama started.

Hernandez was at the plate with the Wisconsin infield playing in on the grass.  He lined an 0-2 pitch that seemed destined for the outfield and a game-tying single.  Shortstop Cooper Pratt lunged to his left and caught the ball in the webbing of his glove for the second out while Dickerson held on at third base.

That brought Johnson to the plate with the game on the line.  Johnson, who had three singles in the game – all with two outs in an inning, had the count in his favor at 3-1.  Bryant remained calm and got Johnson to swing and miss at the next two pitches for a game-ending strikeout to give the Rattlers a 1-0 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series heading into the off day on Wednesday.

Game Two of the series is set for Thursday evening at Neuroscience Group Field.  Will Rudy is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Quad Cities has announced Ethan Bosacker as their starter.  Game time is 6:40pm.

The last Wisconsin playoff win was in Game Four of the Midwest League Championship Series at Fort Wayne on September 16, 2012.  The Rattlers were 0-4 in their last four postseason games before this win over the River Bandits.

The Packerland Conference has a full slate of soccer action scheduled for Monday.

The conference fixtures include Sturgeon Bay visiting Kewaunee (4:30 p.m.), and Gibraltar/Sevastopol staying home to face Algoma (6:30 p.m.).

The Clippers currently sit at the top of the conference table with four points (2-0-0). Algoma is in second place with two points but holds the edge with a 1-0-0 conference mark. Gibraltar/Sevastopol, Providence Academy, and Kewaunee all have two points to show for their 1-1-0 conference marks while Peshtigo and NEW Lutheran sit on the bottom with no points accrued. 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers tuned up for a playoff run with a 10-3 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Sunday afternoon at Rise 2 Greatness Field in the regular season finale for both teams.  Wisconsin hit three homers and stole five bases in the game.

Cooper Pratt gave the Rattlers (77-54 overall, 35-30 second half) the lead with a line drive homer to left with one out in the top of the first inning.  Matt Wood drew a two-out walk later in the first and Eduardo Garcia followed with a towering fly ball to left that carried out for a two-run homer.

Cedar Rapids (67-63, 30-36) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with a lead-off home run from Kevin Maitan.

Wisconsin started to pull away in the fourth.  Hedbert Pérez and Victor Torres had consecutive RBI doubles.  Jheremy Vargas drove in Torres with a sacrifice fly for a 6-1 lead.

Torres made his second start as a catcher this season.  He was 0-for-7 on the season at the plate and had appeared in Saturday’s game as a pitcher in the bottom of the eighth inning.  On Sunday, Torres was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored much to the delight of his teammates.

Luis Lara cracked a lead-off home run in the top of the fifth for a 7-1 advantage.

Vargas walked, stole second, and stole third in the seventh inning.  Eduarqui Fernandez drove in Vargas to make it 8-1

Wisconsin used five pitchers in the game.  Stiven Cruz started and worked a scoreless first.  Dikember Sánchez gave up the homer to Maitan but nothing else in his inning of work.  Harrison Durow, who joined the Rattlers from Carolina on Friday, made his Rattlers debut with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts to be credited with the win.  Aiden Maldonado pitched around an error in the fifth and another in the sixth to hold the Kernels off the scoreboard.  Yerlin Rodriguez had the first two runners reach against him in the seventh inning before he escaped the inning on a flyout and two strikeouts. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Rodriguez struck out the first two batters but gave up a triple to Misael Urbina.  Bayden Root took over for Rodriguez and allowed an RBI single to Tyler Dearden before getting the final out.

The Rattlers took advantage of two Cedar Rapids errors to score two unearned runs in the top of the ninth.  Fernandez had the bases loaded and drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly.  An error on a grounder to shortstop allowed Vargas to score Wisconsin’s tenth run of the game.

The Kernels got a two-out, RBI double from Rixon Wingrove in the bottom of the ninth before Root struck out Maitan looking to end the game.

Several players who started the game were lifted for rest.  Vargas pinch hit for Jadher Areinamo in the fourth inning after Areinamo started the game 0-for-2.  Areinamo finished the season with a .301 batting average.  Fernandez replaced Lara on defense in the bottom of the sixth.  Lara was 1-for-3 with a walk, a homer, and a stolen base.  Lara ended the season with 45 stolen bases.  Jesus Chirinos pinch-hit for Wood in the top of the seventh.  Wood was 0-for-2 with a walk on Sunday.

The 77 wins this season are the second-most by a Timber Rattlers team since the 2012 team won 78 games.  This year’s Wisconsin team tied with the 1996 Rattlers for the third most regular season wins. The 2001 Rattlers won 84 games.  The 2012 and 2000 Rattlers had 78 wins.  The 2024 Rattlers matched the 1996 team with 77 victories.

Five stolen bases on Sunday pushed Wisconsin’s season total to 244.  This year’s team fell just short of the franchise record of 245 that was set by the 2001 Rattlers.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday in preparation for Game One of their best-of-three series with the Quad Cities River Bandits.  Wisconsin will open on the road at Modern Woodmen Park on Tuesday night.  Alexander Cornielle has been announced as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Quad Cities will counter with Ryan Ramsey.  Game time is 6:30pm CDT.

The Green Bay Blizzard has signed its head coach Corey Roberson to an extension after the franchise's most successful season in a decade.

The two-time Indoor Football League Coach of the Year led the Blizzard to the most wins in the IFL in 2025 and its first playoff victory in addition to having the best defense in the league.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels blew open a tight contest with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers by scoring ten runs in the bottom of the eighth inning at Rise 2 Greatness Field on Saturday night.  The Kernels defeated Wisconsin 11-0.

Tyler Wehrle, in his second straight start for the Timber Rattlers, allowed two hits, walked five, and struck out five over five scoreless innings.

Connor Prielipp, the Kernels starter, struck out six over three scoreless, hitless innings.  Ricky Castro took over for Prielipp and pitched the final six innings without allowing a run and striking out eight.

Cedar Rapids (67-62 overall, 30-35 second half) broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Wisconsin reliever Mark Manfredi hit Agustin Ruiz to start the inning.  Then, Kevin Maitan hit a fly ball to the right field corner.  Eduarqui Fernandez made a diving attempt only to see the ball land just out of his reach.  Ruiz was heading for third with a full head of steam and ran right through the stop sign of third base coach Brian Dinkelman.  It worked out for Ruiz and Fernandez thought the play was at second and threw the ball there instead of to his cutoff man.  Ruiz scored for a 1-0 lead.
 

Jheremy Vargas singled to start the top of the eighth and Luke Adams singled with two outs to have a scoring threat against Castro.  Cooper Pratt hit a deep line drive to right, but Walker Jenkins ran it down for the final out of the inning.

Aaron Rund entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen for the bottom of the eighth.  Kaelen Culpepper started the rally with a soft single to right and Rayne Doncon followed with a single to center.  Nate Baez blooped a single to center.  Culpepper got a great read that the ball was going to drop and sprinted home with the run.

Rund got the first out, but a soft grounder off the bat of Maitan went for an infield single to load the bases.  Jose Salas singled to score another run.  An error on another soft grounder let in one more run for a 4-0 lead.

The toughest play of the inning was the next one.  The bases were loaded, and Jenkins singled to center to score two runs.  Kyle Hess, the runner at first took the turn around third base too far and was trapped off third base.  However, the throw went to third and Hess sprinted home to score for a 7-0 lead.

Culpepper tripled with two outs to knock in Jenkins and end Rund’s night with the Rattlers down 8-0.

Position player Victor Torres took over on the mound.  An error let Culpepper score.  Then, Baez hit a two-run home run to account for the final score.

Luis Lara led Wisconsin’s offense.  He had two hits and stole three bases.  The Rattlers were held to four hits in the game as they were shutout for the fifth time this season.

The final game of the series – and of the 2024 regular season – is Sunday afternoon.  Stiven Cruz (2-3, 3.48) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin.  The Kernels have named Tanner Lee (1-5, 5.40) as their starter.  Game time is 1:05pm CDT.  

Saquon Barkley continues to be a terror for the Green Bay Packers' defense, this time leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 34-29 win in Brazil Friday night.

Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and caught another score to lead the Eagles offensively. The Packers lead 6-0 early on a pair of field goals before Barkley scored his first touchdown. Barkley would trade scores with the Packers' Jayden Reed, who scored on a 33-yard run and a 70-yard pass in the second quarter. The Eagles would cut the Packers' lead to 19-17 with a field goal cap of the half.

The Eagles would take control as AJ Brown and Barkley scored on either side of a Christian Watson touchdown catch from Jordan Love to make it a 31-26 lead in the third quarter. The two teams traded field goals in the fourth to keep the Packers away from the win column.

The Packers will try again next Sunday when they host the Indianpolis Colts. 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers received a great start from Will Rudy and gave him just enough offense to pick up a 3-2 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Friday night at Rise 2 Greatness Field.  Rudy earned his sixth win of the season with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings.

The Timber Rattlers (76-53 overall, 34-29 second half) used alert base running to take advantage of Cedar Rapids miscues to score twice in the top of the second inning.  Jesus Chirinos walked to start the inning.  Jose Acosta drove a double to the wall in right.  Chirinos was pulling into third, but a poor throw into the cutoff man in the outfield got away.  Chirinos sprinted home as the ball trickled to the infield grass.  He would score the first run of the game just ahead of a late throw from Rixon Wingrove, the first baseman who got to the ball near the mound.

Jheremy Vargas followed with a sharp single to left.  Acosta held up for a moment to make sure the ball would get through the infield, and he was pulling into third base.  Left fielder Misael Urbina fired to the plate anyway and missed the cutoff man with a throw that was up the third base line on the infield grass.  Vargas saw an opening to go to second and beat the throw from catcher Poncho Ruiz.  Acosta noticed that no one was covering the plate and broke for home.  By the time pitcher Darren Bowen got to the plate to take the throw, Acosta was sliding home with the second run.

Luke Adams was hit by a pitch for the fortieth time this season to open the Wisconsin third inning.  He was still at first base with two outs and Jesus Chirinos at the plate.  Adams was running on an 0-2 pitch and Chirinos lined a deep drive to the base of the wall in right.  Gabriel Gonzalez played the ball of the wall well enough to hold Chirinos to a single, but it wasn’t enough to keep Adams from racing home for a 3-0 lead.

Rudy was in trouble a few times early but didn’t allow the Kernels (66-62, 29-35) to score.  The first two batters reached in the first inning on a walk and a single.  They did not advance as Rudy retired the next three batters in a row.  Kevin Maitin started the second inning with a hard grounder down the third base line.  He was going for two, but a strong, accurate throw from Jheremy Vargas was in time to get Maitan at second base for the first out.  The next batter walked before Rudy got his first two strikeouts to end the frame.

The Kernels first two runners reached in the bottom of the third on a walk and a single, but they were left stranded again as Rudy struck out the next two batters and got the final out on a strikeout.  Rudy was never in trouble over his final three innings of work and his seven strikeouts matched his single-game high as a pro and he turned the 3-0 lead over to the bullpen after six innings.
 

In bottom of the seventh, Yerlin Rodriguez mowed down the Kernels by striking out the side in order.

Jeferson Figueroa buckled a bit in the bottom of the eighth as he allowed a single and a double to the first two batters.  Back-to-back RBI grounders by Rayne Doncon and Rixon Wingrove cut Wisconsin’s lead to one run.  Then, Figueroa buckled down as he got the final out of the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth for his first Midwest League save.

Friday’s game ended a streak of eight consecutive games in which the Timber Rattlers had seen their opponents score first.  The win also allowed the Rattlers to clinch the season series from Cedar Rapids.  Wisconsin had not won a season series from the Kernels since 2017.

Game five of the series is Saturday night at Rise 2 Greatness Field.  Tyler Wehrle (2-3, 4.45) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Connor Prielipp (0-1, 3.86) is set to start for the Kernels.  Game time is 6:35pm CDT.

The Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles will christen a new NFL market tonight when the two teams face off in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Brazilian capital joins London (United Kingdom), Munich (Germany), Frankfurt (Germany), and Mexico City (Mexico) as hosts for the NFL International Series games. The NFL touted the market as one of the fastest-growing in the world for the league.

The Packers are coming off a 9-8 season a year ago that ended with splitting their playoff contests against the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. Led by the midseason renaissance of Jordan Love, the Packers won six of their final eight games to make the playoff.

The Eagles had the flip of that script, losing five of their last six regular season games before they were bounced in the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers made a habit of scoring early and often on their way to their first half division title and their first playoff spot since 2016.  The Rattlers continued that trend well into the second half.  However, their opponents have turned the tables on the Timber Rattlers lately and the Cedar Rapids Kernels jumped to a 5-0 lead on the way to a 5-3 victory over the Rattlers on Thursday night at Rise 2 Greatness Field.

Cedar Rapids (66-61 overall, 29-34 second half) threatened to take the lead almost immediately in the bottom of the first.  Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Birchard walked the first two batters and gave up a single to load the bases with no outs.  Rixon Wingrove sent a fly ball to medium left that scored the runner from third.  The Rattlers appealed to third thinking that the runner left early.  The appeal was successful and there were two outs with the game still scoreless.
 

Wingrove did not leave it up to an appeal play his next turn at the plate.  In the third inning with a runner at second and one out, Wingrove lined a home run over the wall in right on the first pitch of his at bat for a 2-0 lead.

Cedar Rapids scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Walker Jenkins doubled with two outs against reliever Brailin Rodriguez.  A balk by Rodriguez let Jenkins take third base.  An error on a grounder to second that would have ended the inning allowed Jenkins to score.

Misael Urbina made it 5-0 with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. 

The opponents have scored first in each of the last eight games the Rattlers have played.  Including Thursday’s result, the Rattlers are 1-7 in their last eight.

The Timber Rattlers (75-53, 33-29) fought back to make the Kernels sweat a little bit.

Jadher Areinamo mashed his tenth home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the sixth with one out.  Later in the same inning, Luis Lara drew a two-out walk.  Matt Wood followed with a double to center.  Lara tried to score on the play but was out at the plate for the final out of the inning.

The Kernels opened the door a bit for the Rattlers in the eighth inning.  Tayden Hall drew a walk with one out.  Areinamo hit a slow grounder to second.  Jose Salas tried to tag out Hall, but the ball was jarred from his glove and the Rattlers would have runners at second and third when the play was done.  Eduardo Garcia drove in Hall with a deep flyball to left for a sacrifice fly and the Rattlers were down 5-2.

Ram?n Rodríguez pulled the Rattlers to within two runs with a one-out, solo homer in the top of the ninth.  Rodríguez also has hit ten home runs this season.

Eduarqui Fernandez drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but Wisconsin would get no closer as the next two hitters were retired and the late comeback was denied.

Game four of the series is Friday night at Rise 2 Greatness Field.  Will Rudy (5-8, 4.86) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Cedar Rapids has named Darren Bowen (2-9, 5.94) as their starter.  Game time is 6:35pm CDT. 

A wild and weird top of the ninth inning was full of exhilaration and heartbreak for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers as they fought back from a 3-0 deficit to score three runs and tie the Cedar Rapids Kernels Wednesday night at Rise 2 Greatness Field.  However, missed opportunities cost the Rattlers the lead and eventually the game as the Kernels scored a two-out run in the bottom of the tenth for a 4-3 win.

The game did not start out well for Wisconsin (75-52 overall, 33-28 second half).  Starting pitcher Alexander Cornielle had a runner at first with two outs when he walked Rubel Cespedes on a 3-2 pitch.  Rayne Doncon, in his first game off the Kernels Injured List, lined the first pitch of his at bat to left for a two-run double.  Agustin Ruiz gave the Kernels (65-61, 28-34) a 3-0 lead with an RBI single.

That would be if for the Kernels against Cornielle.  The right-hander retired the next sixteen batter he faced.  Cornielle struck out seven in six innings.

Kernels starter John Klein would pitch seven scoreless innings, and he was rarely in trouble.  In the fifth, he gave up singles to the first two batters he faced before a double play and a flyout kept the shutout intact.  In the seventh, Wisconsin had two on with one out, but a strikeout and a force out ended the threat.  Klein struck out six, hit two, and scattered six hits.

Juan Mendez, the Kernels first reliever, was in trouble in the eighth.  He hit Luke Adams and gave up a two-out double to Luis Lara.  The Rattlers could not cash in on that chance.

The was a little history made in the top of the eighth.  Adams was hit by a pitch for the 39th time this season.  He has set the new Midwest League record being hit by a pitch in a season.  He had shared the record with Nick Sinay of Lansing, who had been hit 38 times in 2017.

Additionally, Lara’s double extended his current hitting streak to eight games, his longest hitting streak of the season.

However, the Rattlers were still looking for their first run.

The top of the ninth inning started with a strikeout by Xander Hamilton.  Felix Valerio reached on an infield single and Eduarqui Fernandez walked.  A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position.  Jheremy Vargas laced a single to center to score Valerio.

Adams stepped in and sent a grounder to Cespedes at second for what appeared to be a game-ending double play.  Cespedes lost the ball while getting it out of his glove and the ball trickled into left field.  Fernandez scored and Vargas wound up at third base.

Jadher Areinamo was next, and the league’s leading hitter sent a high fly to left field that dropped in for a single to score Vargas with the tying run and chase Hamilton from the game.

Lara greeted Jordan Carr with another single to left that looked sure to put the Rattlers ahead as Adams raced around third primed to score.  Adams tripped and fell halfway between third and home and was tagged out as the throw home was on target for the second out.

The Rattlers still had runners at the corners and Lara took off while Carr still held the ball before throwing on a 1-2 pitch to Hedbert Pérez at the plate.  Carr stepped off the mound and turned to face Lara.  Areinamo broke for the plate, but Carr never threw the baseball.  He was able to turn back to the plate and throw home to get Areinamo for the final out.

In the top of the tenth, Wisconsin had runners at first and second with one out.  Jesus Chirinos hit a fly ball deep to right Gabriel Gonzalez made a diving catch for the second out and hold the runners at their bases.  Carr got the final out to keep the game tied going to the bottom of the tenth.

Dikember Sánchez, Wisconsin’s fourth pitcher of the night who had worked a scoreless ninth inning, got the first two outs in the bottom of the tenth to hold the placed runner at second base.  Sánchez was ahead of Gonzalez 1-2 when the defensive hero from the top of the inning sent a fly ball to left that carried just out of the reach of Pérez on the warning track for a game-winning, RBI double.

Game three of the series is Thursday night.  Ryan Birchard (0-2, 9.82) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Cedar Rapids will send Spencer Bengard (1-0, 1.42) to the mound.  Game time is 6:35pm CDT.

The Door County YMCA Striver’s Gymnastics Team awarded the Seventh Annual Ellie Helm “Spirit” Award at their team banquet on Monday, August 26th. The Ellie Helm Spirit Award stands for Sportsmanship, Positivity, Inspiration, Respect and Teamwork. Six characteristics that describe Ellie Helm.

Ellie was a long-time Striver Gymnast who won numerous individual, State, and National Medals for the Striver Team. Ellie was a Gibraltar graduate; she attended The University of North Dakota. Ellie participated on the UND cheerleading squad. On September 29, 2017 Ellie lost her life suddenly and tragically in an ATV accident. At that moment the world lost a loving, kind, compassionate young woman.

The Ellie Helm “SPIRIT” Award is awarded to a Striver Gymnast who exemplifies and encapsulates Ellie’s kind spirit, her compassion for the sport of gymnastics and love for her teammates, and most importantly exhibits the characteristics that define the Spirit Award.

The 2023-2024 Ellie Helm “SPIRIT” Award recipient is Level 7 gymnast Estelle Duerst. Estelle is the daughter of Sofia and Jesse Duerst. Estelle is home-schooled and is in 7th grade. ESTELLE has been on the Striver’s Gymnastic Team for five seasons, Estelle will compete in Level 8 (out of 10) this season.  ESTELLE embellishes herself with encouraging her teammates and having a brave spirit, she is determined, resilient and diligent. Estelle gives 100 percent to every Team practice; she is a joy to have in the gym

Congratulations Estelle Duerst!

You will see pet lovers leading their furry friends along the trail by the Sturgeon Bay YMCA this year while supporting the Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus.  The 5th annual Pet Walk is Sunday, September 8, and will be held at Peterson Park.  Lori Nachtwey of the Door County Humane Society says the event is the largest family-friendly outdoor fundraiser supporting the animals at the Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus.  She shares the excitement the Pet Walk creates for all the participants.

The event begins at 9 a.m., with the walk starting at 10 a.m. It includes music, vendors and exhibitors, kids' activities, dog costume contests, and games. All the proceeds benefit the animals at the Door County Campus. You can take advantage of early bird registration by going to petwalkdoorcounty.com.  

(photo from WHS-DoorCountyCampus)

After some teams had the Labor Day weekend off, high school boys soccer resumes the season on Tuesday.

The list of fixtures includes Luxemburg-Casco heading to Wrightstown (4:30 p.m.), Algoma hosting Howards Grove (4:30 p.m.), and Sturgeon Bay playing at home against Pulaski (6:30 p.m.).

After sticking to tournaments the first week of the season, some area volleyball teams will play in single dual matches on Tuesday.

Luxemburg-Casco will host Bay Port, and Sevastopol will play at home against Reedsville. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.

Sturgeon Bay will still have to play multiple matches on Tuesday as they join Pulaski and Little Chute in Seymour for a quadrangular that begins at 5 p.m.

The Quad Cities River Bandits followed a familiar pattern in their 15-2 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field.  Quad Cities scored first, scored, often, and kept the Rattlers from mounting any kind of a comeback to record their fifth straight win.  The River Bandits have put themselves in position to be Wisconsin’s opponent in the first round of the Midwest League Playoffs with their streak.

The trouble started in the top of the second inning on a lead-off double by Shervyen Newton against Wisconsin starting pitcher Mark Manfredi.  Dustin Dickerson drove in Newton with a single.  Manfredi got the second out of the inning on his third strikeout before a single by Omar Hernandez ended Manfredi’s day on his fortieth pitch.

Yerlin Rodriguez entered the game and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases.  Then, Spencer Nivens double to score two runs and Jac Caglianone followed with another two-run double for a 5-0 lead.

Quad Cities (64-61 overall, 34-26 second half) had two outs with one on in the top of the third with Rodriguez on the mound.  By the time the Rattlers found the final out of the inning, six more runs had scored, and they were down 11-0.  The seeds were planted when Rodriguez walked the number eighth and number nine hitters in the River Bandits lineup with two outs to load the bases.  Justin Johnson doubled to left to score all three runners on base.  An error on Jesus Chirinos on a grounder that should have ended the inning let Johnson score.  Caglianone chased Rodriguez from the game with a single on the 55th pitch thrown by Rodriguez.

Bayden Root relieved Rodriguez but walked the first three batters he faced, including two with the bases loaded to force in runs, before getting the final out.  The River Bandits had eight consecutive hitters reach base after there were two outs in the inning.

Wisconsin (74-51, 32-27) scored their runs in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Matt Wood and a sacrifice fly from Eduarqui Fernandez.

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Hoby Milner pitched a perfect fifth inning for the Timber Rattlers on his second rehab assignment with the team.  He needed just nine pitches for a pair of weak grounders and strikeout in this performance.

The River Bandits added to their lead on solo homers by Newton and Trevor Werner against Brailin Rodriguez.  The scored their final two runs in the eighth inning.  Reliever Dikember Sanchez gave up an RBI single to Omar Hernandez.  Sanchez appeared to strike out Caglianone for the final out but was called for a balk before the final pitch to let the last run score.

The fifteen runs allowed are the most Wisconsin has given up in a game this season.  Quad Cities scored first in all five of their wins in the series.
 

The West Division’s second half playoff raced has cleared a bit more after Sunday’s results.  The Peoria Chiefs lost at Beloit on Sunday afternoon to allow the River Bandits to open a three-game lead on the Chiefs with six games left in the season.  Quad Cities returns home on Tuesday to face Beloit while Peoria is back home to take on Lake County, the first half East Division champions.  If Quad Cities holds their lead in the West Division through next Sunday, they will host Wisconsin in Game One of the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday, September 10 at Modern Woodmen Park.

The Timber Rattlers start their final regular season series on Tuesday at Cedar Rapids.  Stiven Cruz (2-3, 3.86) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin.  Cedar Rapids has named Ty Langenberg (5-2, 4.25) as their starter. Game time at Rise2Greatness Field is 6:35pm.

A pitcher's duel ended with Sister Bay capturing their second straight Door County League "double" title, winning the playoff championship game against Kolberg Sunday afternoon 2-0.

The Bays' Sam Forkert and the Braves' Trevor Reinhardt went toe-to-toe threw the game's first six innings. Forkert dodged the first bullet when the Braves had two men on in the first inning. The Bays averted the threat when Tom Sawyer threw out Trevor Reinhardt at second base on a delayed double steal attempt with Jack Peterson. Schneider got out of his own jam in the second with two men on when he forced to Stewart Larsen into double play to Reinhard to end the frame.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by #1051TheGOAT (@1051thegoat)

It remained tied at 0-0 until the bottom of the seventh when the Bays' Spencer Krause, Griffin Cole, and Sam Forkert all reached to load the bases. With Reinhardt on the mound in relief of Schneider, Matt Hecht broke the tie with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by #1051TheGOAT (@1051thegoat)

After Larsen reached to load the bases again, Sawyer Johnson delivered an RBI single to give the Bays an important insurance run late.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by #1051TheGOAT (@1051thegoat)

The Bays would threaten once more in the eighth inning, but a nifty play made by Reinhardt allowed the Braves to stay within striking distance in the ninth.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by #1051TheGOAT (@1051thegoat)

The Braves would get a man on, but Austin Dart flew out to Alex Laughlin to end the game and give the Bays their fourth straight DCL title (two regular season, two playoff).

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by #1051TheGOAT (@1051thegoat)

Postgame, the DCL honored Krause as its batter of the year, Jeremiah Jahnke (Maplewood) as its pitcher of the year, and Kevin Brauer (Maplewood) as its manager of the year.