GRAND CHUTE, WI – Korry Howell homered, tripled, and scored four runs while Reese Olson allowed two hits with seven strikeouts over five innings as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Beloit Snappers 9-0 Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Howell got things started quickly for the Timber Rattlers (3-1). He cracked the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning over the 16-foot high wall in center field for a 421-foot home run and a 1-0 lead.
Olson retired the first eight batters he faced, including striking out five batters in a row at one point.
Wisconsin added to their lead in the third inning when Howell tripled with one out. Carlos Rodríguez knocked in Howell with a two-out single for a 2-0 advantage.
The Rattlers blew open the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and it was Howell who started the rally again. He singled with one out and stole second. Hayden Cantrelle drew a walk and the duo on the bases pulled a double steal. Rodríguez picked up his second RBI of the night with a grounder to score Howell and that ran Beloit starting pitcher Zach King out of the game.
Thomas Dillard took three straight balls from reliever Evan Brabrand before cracking a double to left-center that scored both runners.
The final run of the fifth inning came on an alert play by Dillard. LG Castillo sent a grounder to second and the throw was wild. First baseman Bubba Hollins thought he had held the base with his foot, but Castillo was ruled safe at first. Hollins had lost his balance and was seated on the ground as he has a slight dispute with the base umpire. Dillard noticed that time had not been called and streaked for home to score the run to put the Rattlers up 6-0.
Cantrelle put the finishing touches on the score in the sixth inning when he hit his first professional home run. The blast to right came up with Yeison Coca and Howell, who both had walked, on base and Wisconsin was up 9-0.
Howell came up in the bottom of the eighth with a chance at the first cycle in Timber Rattlers history and hit the ball sharply, but it was right back to the pitcher for a 1-3 putout.
Beloit (1-3) committed four errors in the game and managed only two hits off Olson. Wisconsin relievers Harold Chirinos (IP), Brady Schanuel (2IP), and Nash Walters (IP) combined to pitch four hitless innings to close out the game.
Game five of the series is Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Zach Mort will make his Timber Rattlers debut as the starting pitcher. Jake Walters has been announced as the starting pitcher for the Snappers. Game time is 1:05pm.
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