GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored six times in the bottom of the third inning to break a 3-3 and cruise to a 10-4 win over the Beloit Snappers Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers stole five bases in the game for their second straight win to open the season.
The Timber Rattlers (2-0) took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Garrett Mitchell started the rally when he beat out a slow roller to third for an infield single. Then, Mitchell stole second. David Hamilton lined a triple to the corner in right to score Mitchell for a 1-0 lead. Nick Kahle followed with an RBI grounder and Wisconsin was up 2-0.
LG Castillo put the Rattlers up 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning. He lined a ground rule double to right-center to score Korry Howell from second base.
Beloit (0-2) rallied to tie the game in the top of the third inning. Connor Scott started the inning with a double and Will Banfield followed with a walk. Kameron Misner was next and he doubled in Scott. An RBI grounder by Nic Ready and a run-scoring triple by Griffin Conine plated the next two runs in the inning and tied the score.
The game didn’t stay tied very long.
Hamilton led off the bottom of the third with a walk and stole second. Thomas Dillard lined a one-out single to right-center and Hamilton scored to put the Rattlers back ahead. Then, the Wisconsin bats really got in gear.
Castillo stepped to the plate with two on and two out and cracked an RBI single. Then, Chad McClanahan lined a long, three-run homer over the 16-foot high wall in center. That homer chased Beloit starter Bryan Hoeing from the game.
The Rattlers weren’t done. Mitchell reached on another infield single against reliever. Hayden Cantrelle ripped a double to right and Mitchell scored the sixth and final run of the inning for a 9-3 lead.
Will Banfield hit a lead-off home run in the top of the fifth inning and Beloit pulled to within 9-4.
There was a slight shadow cast over the victory. Mitchell, who was 2-for-2 with a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs scored, left the game in favor of a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning. He experienced tightness after lunging for first base in the third inning on his second infield hit. The move was called precautionary by manager Matt Erickson in his postgame comments.
Hamilton manufactured a run on his own for the Rattlers in the sixth to pad the lead. He reached on a bunt single, stole second, went to third on a grounder, and scored on a wild pitch where the ball popped just a short distance away from the catcher. Hamilton was 2-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases, and a three runs scored in the game.
Freisis Adames, who gave up the homer to Banfield in the fifth inning, settled down after that and struck out six over four innings to claim the win and move his own record to 1-0.
Game three of the series is set for Thursday night. Justin Jarvis is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Snappers will counter with Kyle Nicolas. Game time is 6:35pm.
