(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers book-ended their offense on Sunday against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Neuroscience Group Field. Josiah Ragsdale hit a lead-off homer in the first to tie the game 1-1. Eric Bitonti hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to break a 4-4 and lead the Rattlers to an 8-4 victory.
Cedar Rapids (32-40 overall, 1-7 second half) took the lead in the first inning by manufacturing a run. Brandon Winokur singled, stole second, and went to third on a grounder. Caden Kendle hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Winokur.
Wisconsin (41-29, 7-1) tied the game with a bolt of lightning in the bottom of the first. Ragsdale lined a lead-off home run over the wall in center on a 1-2 pitch from Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober, who was making a rehabilitation start for the Kernels on Sunday. Ragsdale has two lead-off homers this season and has extended his on-base streak to 32 games.
The Rattlers took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Blayberg Diaz knocked in the go-ahead with an RBI grounder. Ragsdale added to the lead with a two-out, RBI single.
The Kernels nearly tied the game in the top of the third. Winokur was at third and Kendle was at second with two outs. Danny DeAndrade singled to center to score Winokur. Kendle tried to score but was just out at the plate on a strong throw from Braylon Payne to Diaz at the plate to keep the Rattlers up 3-2.
Ober would leave with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wisconsin got to him for three runs on seven hits with no walks. Ober struck out one as he tossed 57 pitches before turning the game over to Michael Ross.
Braylon Payne turned the 3-2 lead over to the bullpen after five innings. The Kernels took the lead in the top of the sixth.
Danny De Andrade started the inning with a deep fly to right center. The ball hit on the warning track and bounced over the wall for an automatic double. One out later, Graham Brown homered to left to put Cedar Rapids up 4-3.
Ross kept the Rattlers in check. At one point he retired nine straight Rattlers after a one-out single in the fifth. Bitonti broke up that streak with a one out single in the bottom of the eighth.
Daniel Dickinson followed with a double to right-center. Bitonti raced home with the tying run.
Garrett Hodges, who entered in the top of the eighth inning, retired the Kernels in order in the bottom of the ninth to keep the score even.
Nolan Santos got the call from the Cedar Rapids bullpen for the bottom of the ninth. He got the first out but hit Ragsdale and walked Juan Baez to put the winning run on second base. A strikeout got the Kernels within an out of forcing extra innings and a 3-2 count to Marco Dinges got them to within a strike of getting to the tenth. Then, Dinges didn’t chase a 3-2 pitch and took the walk to load the bases and set the stage for Bitonti.
The big left-hander lined a 1-1 pitch from Santos deep to right-center at 112-mph. That line drive was enough to win the game. That line drive just clearing the wall made history as just the fourth walkoff grand slam in Timber Rattlers history, and first since July 12, 2001.
Previous Walkoff Grand Slams for Wisconsin:
Juan Silvestre vs. Lansing – September 11, 1999 (Game One Midwest League Semifinals)
Gorky Estrella vs. South Bend – June 26, 2000
Ariel Durango vs. Lansing – July 12, 2001
Bitonti had already extended his current hitting streak to a season-high eight games with his eighth inning single. He was 2-for-5 on Sunday and is 17-for-36 during the streak.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday in Illinois with the first game of a series at Dozer Park against the Peoria Chiefs. Josh Knoth (1-0, 2.49) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Blake Aita (2-2, 3.35) is the probable starter for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:35pm.
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