(WNFL) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers offense stayed hot with another big performance against the Fort Wayne TinCaps in a 12-3 victory Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Luis Aviles, Isan Diaz, and Jake Gatewood each had three hits to lead the Rattlers bats on a 16-hit attack.
The Timber Rattlers (48-49 overall, 14-13 second half) rallied for two runs with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead. Gatewood singled and Diaz drew a walk to start the two-out uprising. Aviles lined a single into right-center to send Gatewood home and Diaz around to third. Moments later, the Rattlers pulled a double steal with Aviles drawing a throw and second and Diaz breaking for the plate and scoring without a return throw for a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin added two runs in the second inning. Max McDowell started the inning with a single. One out later, Carlos Belonis doubled to drive in McDowell. Later in the inning, Mitch Ghelfi extended his current hitting streak to twelve games with an RBI single and the Rattlers were up 4-0. Ghelfi went 1-for-4 on Thursday. He is 29-for-54 during his twelve-game hitting streak.Lucas Erceg made it 5-0 in favor of the home team in the third with an RBI single to score Gatewood.Starting pitcher Miguel Diaz went four scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out five, but was taken out on his pitch limit before the start of the fifth.The TinCaps (45-52, 9-18) rallied in the fifth inning against reliever Jake Drossner. Marcus Green, Jr. started the inning with a home run. Austin Allen and Carlos Belen had RBI singles later in the inning and Fort Wayne was within two runs.The Rattlers responded in the bottom of the fifth with two runs. Diaz and Aviles singled to start the inning. Erceg sent a grounder to first and the TinCaps planned on turning a double play. However, the throw wound up in left field and Diaz scored. Max McDowell made it 7-3 with a sacrifice fly to score Aviles.Wisconsin stepped on the gas in the sixth inning with three more runs. Troy Stokes, Jr. reached on an error and Ghelfi walked. Gatewood doubled to right to score Stokes. Diaz was next and he lined a ball off the top of the wall in left, just missing a three-run homer. Diaz was thrown out trying to go to second, but was credited with a two-run single to put the Rattlers up 10-3.Drossner settled in after the fifth inning and didn’t allow another run. He struck out seven in four innings to earn his fourth win of the season.The Timber Rattlers offense – and the Fort Wayne defense – wasn’t done. Diaz doubled with one out in the eighth. He scored on a throwing error after a grounder back to the mound off the bat of Aviles. The error was the fifth of the game by the TinCaps.McDowell knocked in the final run of the game with an RBI single.David Lucroy tossed a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.
The final game of the series is Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Corbin Burnes (1-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. JC Cosme (7-5, 3.56) is set to start for the TinCaps. Game time is 7:05pm.
