(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) – CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers hit four home runs Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Cedar Rapids Kernels scored six runs with two outs Saturday Night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels did just enough to defeat the Rattlers 7-6 and put a serious dent into Wisconsin’s hopes for a first half playoff bid.
Braylon Payne launched the Rattlers (29-24) into the lead with a home run to start the game. Payne’s eleventh home run of the season was his second lead-off homer of the season.
The Kernels (28-28) went in front in their half of the first inning as they loaded the bases with one out against Wisconsin starting pitcher Jason Woodward. Jay Thomason tied the game with a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning. Quinn McDaniel knocked in the go-ahead run with a single to right.
Andrew Fischer evened the score with a lead-off homer in the fourth. Fischer has eighteen homers, a 25-game on-base streak, and a ten-game hitting streak after that game-tying blast. He has homered three times in the five games of this series at Cedar Rapids.
Wande Torres took over for Woodward in the bottom of the fourth and retired the first two batters. The third out was elusive. He hit Kernels number nine hitter Harry Genth and gave up an infield single to Marek Houston. Eduardo Tait put Cedar Rapids back in front with a single to right to score Genth. Brandon Winokur followed with a three-run home run for a 6-2 lead.
Wisconsin tightened the score in the sixth inning. Marco Dinges and Fischer singled to start the frame. Eric Bitonti blasted a home run to left-center with one out to pull the Rattlers to within a run.
Winokur was hit by a pitch to open the seventh. Torres unsuccessfully tried to pick Winokur off first base three times. When Winokur was back safe a third time, he was granted second on a balk. Torres got the next two batters with Winokur still at second base. McDaniel added the key insurance run with a single to right for a 7-5 lead.
Xavier Kolhosser, the third Kernels pitcher of the night, entered in the top of the seventh and retired the first seven batters he faced. Luis Castillo snapped that streak with a one-out, solo home run to the scoreboard in the top of the ninth to bring Wisconsin to within a run. Kolhosser closed out the inning and the game by retiring the next two hitters for the Kernels second straight win.
Saturday was the fourth time this season Wisconsin has hit four homers in a game. The Rattlers won the first three games of this series with the Kernels claiming wins on Friday and Saturday.
West Division leading South Bend won 13-2 at Quad Cities on Saturday. That result coupled with the Rattlers loss to the Kernels has dropped Wisconsin to five games back of the Cubs (34-19). Wisconsin has eleven games left in the first half. South Bend has ten games remaining on their first half schedule.
The series finale is Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Travis Smith (6-1, 8.03) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Kernels will go with Garrett Horn (0-0, 1.50) as their starter. Game time is 1:05pm.
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