CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had the Cedar Rapids Kernels on the ropes with an early 8-3 lead at Perfect Game Field on Thursday Night. The Rattlers just couldn’t put away their opponents and the Kernels rallied to within a run before scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth for their second walkoff win of the series.
Wisconsin (43-49) jumped to an early lead in the top of the first inning with two runs. Joey Wiemer walked and Zavier Warren singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Joe Gray Jr. followed with a single to right to score Wiemer and send Warren to third base. Je’Von Ward grounded into a force play at second base to drive in Warren.
Cedar Rapids (52-41) scored a run in the bottom of the first against Brandon Knarr, who was making his Timber Rattlers debut as the starting pitcher. A walk and a two-base error put runners at second and third with no outs. Wander Javier got the run home with a grounder to short that ended with the runner at second getting caught in a rundown for the first out of the inning. Knarr got out of the inning with no more damage.
Felix Valerio made it 4-1 in favor of the Rattlers when he hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the second inning. Valerio and Knarr had just joined the Timber Rattlers on Tuesday after being promoted from Carolina ion August 17.
The Kernels took advantage of three walks by Knarr in the bottom of the second inning. Edouard Julien singled to drive in two runs. Another walk reloaded the bases, but Knarr escaped the inning with the lead.
LG Castillo gave the Timber Rattlers those runs back in the top of the third with a tape-measure, two-run home run with two outs for a 6-3 lead.
Knarr pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the third and Wisconsin’s offense went back to work in the top of the fourth. Wiemer and Warren both walked with one out. Gray singled to drive in Wiemer and get Warren to third. Ward got Warren home with a sacrifice fly and the Rattlers had scored two runs in an inning again to take an 8-3 lead.
Knarr retired the first two batters he faced in the fourth but walked Julien and left the game in the hands of the bullpen. Harold Chirino entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen and gave up a double and a walk to load the bases. Alex Isola drove in Julien with an infield single before Chirino got the final out of the inning.
The Kernels tightened the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Nash Walters walked Isola on four pitches with one on and two outs. Then, Seth Gray lined a 2-0 pitch from Walters to left for a three-run homer and the Kernels were within a run.
Cedar Rapids kept coming with a double and a walk to chase Walters. Evan Reifert, Wisconsin’s fourth pitcher of the night, got a grounder to first to end the threat.
Reifert got the first out of the seventh inning but walked Julien and gave up a hit-and-run single to Yunior Severino to put runners on the corners with one out. Reifert rebounded to strike out the next two batters and preserve the one-run lead.
In the eighth, Reifert got the first two batters before giving up a single and a walk. Kyle Schmidt gave the Rattlers a scare with a hard-hit liner but the ball was right at shortstop Antonio Piñero, who caught the ball for the final out.
Cam Robinson, another recent promotion from Carolina, went out to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Julien singled and stole second to start the inning. Severino followed with a line drive to the gap in left center that sailed to the wall for a double to drive in Julien with the tying run. A throwing error into the cutoff man allowed Severino to take third with the winning run. He was replaced by pinch-runner Daniel Ozoria, who didn’t have to wait long.
Javier lined a 1-1 pitch from Robinson to right field and Ozoria jogged home with the winning run.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Perfect Game Field. Nick Bennett (2-2, 4.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cedar Rapids will send Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-1, 7.20) to the mound. Game time is 6:35pm
Comments