BELOIT, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers fought back to tie the Beloit Sky Carp every time they fell behind on Friday Night at ABC Supply Stadium. Wisconsin rallied from deficits of 2-0, 3-2, and 4-3 to even the score. However, there was no fighting back after Mark Coley cracked a lead-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Beloit a 5-4 victory.
The Sky Carp (45-46 overall, 15-13 second half) grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wisconsin starting pitcher Patricio Aquino retired the first two batters of the inning but walked Jorge Caballero at the end of a ten-pitch at bat. Carlos Santiago followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Aquino got ahead of Jake DeLeo 1-2 before DeLeo laced a triple to right to score both runners for a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin (60-33, 18-9) responded in the top of the fifth. Felix Valerio and Tayden Hall starting the inning with singles to put runners at the corners. Ramόn Rodríguez drove in Valerio and moved Hall to second with a grounder to third. Jheremy Vargas singled to put runners on the corners with one out. There were two outs with runners still at the corners when Vargas broke for second. He drew a throw and Hall broke for the plate. Shortstop Johnny Olmstead cut off the throw to second in front of the bag and fired home wildly. Hall scored the tying run.
Reliever Tyler Wehrle retired the first two Beloit batters he faced in the fifth inning. Then, he hit Olmstead and walked the next two batters to load the bases. An error by Eduardo Garcia on a grounder to short allowed a run to score and the Sky Carp to retake the lead.
Garcia singled and stole second in the top of the fifth. He moved to third on a flyball to center with the tying run. Jesús Chirinos drove in Garcia with a grounder to even the score 3-3.
The Rattlers had a good chance to take the lead in the seventh inning. Rodríguez walked and Vargas singled with one out against Yeuris Jimenez. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Jimenez escaped the jam with consecutive strikeouts to keep the game tied.
Beloit went back in front in the eighth inning and walks played a part again. Adian Maldonado walked the first two batters. DeLeo sent a fly ball to center to move the lead run to third. Cam Barstad got the go-ahead run home with a sacrifice fly to left for the 4-3 lead.
Wisconsin did not go quietly. Valerio started the ninth inning with a single. Xavier Meachem hit Hall to put two runners on with no outs. Rodríguez blooped a single to right the caromed off DeLeo to foul territory. Valerio scored the tying run, but Hall was out at third with Rodríguez taking second base. Meachem got the second out before issuing a walk. He would get the final out to keep the game tied as it went to the bottom of the ninth inning.
Yerlin Rodriguez, who struck out the side in order on Wednesday night, took the mound for the bottom of the ninth to try and send the teams to extra innings for the second night in a row. Coley spoiled that plan with a lead-off homer on a 3-2 pitch to send the Sky Carp to the 5-4 victory.
Friday night was just the second walkoff loss of the season for the Timber Rattlers. The only other walkoff loss they have suffered in 2024 was when Josh Mears hit a two-run homer for the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field on June 21.
The Timber Rattlers had ten hits but were just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Sky Carp had five hits but were able to take advantage of seven walks and a hit batsman. Both teams have two wins in the series.
Game five of the series is Saturday night at ABC Supply Stadium. Tate Kuehner (5-2, 2.78) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Beloit has named Emmett Olson (4-3, 3.19) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm.
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