GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers fell behind the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-0 on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. A grand slam from Chad McClanahan in the seventh inning brought the Rattlers close, but they couldn’t close the gap and the Whitecaps added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on the way to an 8-4 win in game one of the six-game series between the teams.
West Michigan (5-7) jumped to the lead with two runs in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI doubles with two outs by Andre Lipcius and Daniel Cabrera.
Rey Rivera made it 3-0 in favor of the Whitecaps with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning.
Wisconsin (6-7) had no success against West Michigan starting pitcher Garrett Hill, who allowed three hits and struck out eight over five scoreless innings.
The Whitecaps pushed their lead out to 7-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Eliezer Alfonzo drove in the first run of the inning with a single. A wild pitch let in the second run. Spencer Torkelson, the #1 pick in the 2020 MLB entry draft, plated the final two runs of the inning with a line drive double off the top of the wall in left field.
The Timber Rattlers loaded the bases with one out against West Michigan reliever Brendan White in the bottom of the seventh inning. McClanahan unloaded the bases with one swing of the bat when he crushed a long drive to the Wisconsin bullpen for a grand slam.
The bases-loaded home run by McClanahan was the first by a Rattler since KJ Harrison hit a slam against Cedar Rapids at home on July 2, 2018.
Alfonzo gave West Michigan a bit more breathing room with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the ninth.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Reese Olson (1-0, 0.90) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Chance Kirby (0-1, 2.25) is set to start for the Whitecaps. Game time is 6:35pm.
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