SOUTH BEND, IN – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers staged a stunning ninth-inning comeback and took the lead twice in extra innings against the South Bend Cubs Wednesday night at Perfect Game Field. The Cubs would stage the final celebration as they scored twice in the bottom of the twelfth inning to defeat Wisconsin 13-12.
David Hamilton extended a trio of streaks when he hit the second pitch of the game for a home run to give the Rattlers (15-17) a 1-0 lead. Hamilton now owns a 13-game hitting streak, has scored at least one run in eleven straight games, and has homered in three straight games.
Speaking of streaks, Timber Rattlers designated hitter Je’Von Ward moved his own hitting streak to sixteen games with a single to center in the second inning.
The Timber Rattlers added to their lead in the top of the third. Korry Howell singled with one out. Garrett Mitchell sent a grounder through the left side of the infield and Howell sped around the bases to score as Mitchell cruised into second for a double.
South Bend (16-15) struck quickly in the bottom of the third to take the lead as the first six batters of the inning reached base to score four runs. Edmond Americaan started the inning with a home run to right. The next two batters reached on a double and a hit batsman. Nelson Velazquez followed with a single to send the tying run across the plate and send the lead run to third. Velazquez stole third to get into scoring position and Yonathan Perlaza singled to knock in both runs for a 4-2 lead.
Thomas Dillard evened the score in the top of the fifth inning with a two-out, two-run single.
The Cubs loaded the bases on a single and two walks with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning against reliever Arman Sabouri. Harold Chirino entered the game and threw a wild pitch on his first pitch to let the go-ahead run score. Velasquez and Perlaza each followed with RBI singles and the Cubs went back in front 7-4.
Mitchell got the Rattlers a little closer with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the seventh. However, the Cubs responded with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Josue Huma had a two-out, RBI double and Tyler Durna followed with a two-run single for a 10-5 lead.
A dropped fly ball with two outs in the top of the eighth inning let Hayden Cantrelle score from second.
In the ninth, the first two Rattlers were retired without incident and the Cubs were one out away from the win. Mitchell kept the inning alive by drawing a walk on the tenth pitch of his plate appearance and that got reliever Eury Ramos out of the game in favor of Samuel Reyes. Dillard and Ward greeted Reyes with singles to load the bases for Gabriel García.
Reyes got ahead of García with two quick strikes. García fouled off the next pitch and took the next two outside the strike zone to set up the dramatic pitch. García crushed the next offering from Reyes deep into the night for a no-doubt grand slam to tie the game 10-10.
Taylor Floyd, Wisconsin’s sixth pitcher of the night, worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Neither team could score in the tenth.
In the top of the eleventh, Mitchell started the frame at second and moved to third on a grounder off the bat of Dillard. Ward was next and he drove a single through the drawn-in infield to give Wisconsin an 11-10 lead.
In the bottom of the eleventh, Evan Reifert, the seventh Rattler pitcher of the night had one out with runners at first and second when he got Bradlee Beesley to send a grounder to García at third. The throw to second was perfect. The throw to first for the game-ending double play was wild and the tying run scored.
In the top of the twelfth, Hayden Cantrelle started the inning at second base and Kekai Rios walked. LG Castillo singled up the middle to drive in Cantrelle and the throw home was very wild allowing Rios to take third and Castillo to move to second. However, the Rattlers could not add any insurance and it would cost them.
Reifert got the first out of the bottom of the twelfth on a grounder to first and that sent Huma to third with the tying run. Velazquez drew a walk and stole second base to move into scoring position with the winning run. Wisconsin elected to walk Perlaza to load the bases. Reifert got the second out of the inning with a strike out. There would not be a third out.
Then, Jake Slaughter singled to right and that scored Huma and Velazquez to let the Cubs celebrate the win.
Game three of the series is set for Thursday night at Four Winds Field. Justin Bullock has been named the starting pitcher and makes his first Timber Rattlers start of 2021 when he faces the Cubs. South Bend has named Brad Deppermann (0-0, 1.69) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
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