CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were looking for a fourth consecutive win for the first time this season when they faced the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday night at PG Cares Field. The Rattlers only found four hits and an unearned run as they could not rally from an early deficit in a 4-1 loss to the Kernels.
Wisconsin starting pitcher Cameron Wagoner ran into some tough luck in the bottom of the first inning. Tanner Schobel singled to start the inning, but he was still at first base with two outs. Kala’i Rosario sent a grounder up the middle for what looked like the third out. However, the ball deflected off Wagoner’s foot into short right for a hit. The next batter was Noah Cardenas, who blooped a popup on a 3-2 pitch to left field and the ball dropped in for a single to score Schobel from second for a 1-0 lead.
Cedar Rapids (23-20) added to their lead with another two-out hit. In the third inning, Misael Urbina single with runners on the corners and two outs to knock in the run to make it 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Andrew Cossetti doubled and took third on a wild pitch. Kyler Fedko singled by the drawn-in infield to score Cossetti and the Kernels were up 3-0.
Fedko lined a solo home run to left in the sixth inning and the Kernels had a 4-0 advantage.
Wisconsin (14-28) struggled against both Cedar Rapids pitchers. Marco Raya, the starter, was only scheduled for three innings. However, he made the most of his time on the mound. The only base runners he allowed were on defensive miscues and Raya struck out five.
Jordan Carr took over for the rest of the game and – while he gave up singles in the fifth and sixth and walks in the seventh and eighth, no Rattler reached third base over his first four innings.
The Rattlers broke the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the ninth. Robert Moore reached on an infield single and an error on the play put him on second. Moore was still at second with two outs when Darrien Miller singled to center to drive him home with Wisconsin’s lone run.
Miller extended his hitting streak to six games and knocked in his third run in the last two games with that RBI single in the ninth.
Carr closed out the game with his sixth strikeout when he retired the next batter.
The loss snapped Wisconsin’s three-game winning streak. This was the third time this season the Rattlers have tried to move a winning streak to four games and they have missed on all three attempts.
Game five of the series is scheduled for Saturday night at PG Cares Field. Stiven Cruz (1-3, 6.67) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cedar Rapids has named Alejandro Hidalgo (0-1, 2.33) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm.
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