DAVENPORT, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers won their first playoff game since 2012 with a dramatic, nerve-jangling 1-0 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits in Game One of the Western Division Finals on Tuesday Night at Modern Woodmen Park. Jadher Areinamo’s solo homer in the fifth inning was the only run of the game and one of Wisconsin’s two hits in the contest.
Alexander Cornielle, Mark Manfredi, and Tyler Bryant were the trio of Wisconsin hurlers to get in and out of trouble through nine innings to maintain the lead all the way to the end as they pitched around five hits and six walks while holding the River Bandits to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Quad Cities starting pitcher Ryan Ramsey didn’t allow a hit through four innings. Wisconsin had just one base runner, a lead-off walk in the fourth that was erased on a double play. Ramsey would strikeout nine over six innings.
The River Bandits had chances with two outs in the third and fourth inning against Cornielle. Quad Cities had runners at first and second with two outs in the third and Cornielle struck out Jac Caglianone, the #1 prospect of the Kansas City Royals, to end the inning. Cornielle stranded a runner at third when he got Dustin Dickerson to foul out in the fourth.
Jadher Areinamo crushed the first pitch of the top of the fifth inning for a long home run. Areinamo’s solo shot was the only hit Wisconsin had against Ramsey, but it was enough for a 1-0 lead.
Cornielle gave up a two-out single to Justin Johnson in the bottom of the fifth inning. Spencer Nivens was down in the count 1-2 before fouling off six straight pitches. Cornielle missed with the next offering before getting Nivens to swing and miss at the twelfth pitch of the at bat to end the inning.
Manfredi relieved Cornielle with two outs and a runner at first in the bottom of the sixth inning. Manfredi walked the first batter he faced before striking out Dustin Dickerson to end the inning.
Sam Kulasingam singled to start the bottom of the seventh. Quad Cities asked Omar Hernandez to bunt Kulasingam over to second. Hernandez popped up his attempt with first baseman Tayden Hall charging down the line. Hall made a diving grab and fired to first with Areinamo covering for the double play.
However, the next two batters, Johnson and Nivens reached on a single and a walk. Manfredi got the final out when Caglianone went after the first pitch and popped out to third. Manfredi would work a perfect eighth inning and turned the ball over to Bryant for the bottom of the ninth.
Dickerson lined a 1-2 pitch to the middle of the wall in left for a leadoff double. Kulasingam was not asked to bunt, and he nearly won the game for the Bandits. He hit a towering fly to the corner in right where the outfield fence is only 318 feet from home plate. The ball died in the glove of Eduarqui Fernandez about two feet short of a walkoff homer. Dickerson moved to third on the play. Then, the real drama started.
Hernandez was at the plate with the Wisconsin infield playing in on the grass. He lined an 0-2 pitch that seemed destined for the outfield and a game-tying single. Shortstop Cooper Pratt lunged to his left and caught the ball in the webbing of his glove for the second out while Dickerson held on at third base.
That brought Johnson to the plate with the game on the line. Johnson, who had three singles in the game – all with two outs in an inning, had the count in his favor at 3-1. Bryant remained calm and got Johnson to swing and miss at the next two pitches for a game-ending strikeout to give the Rattlers a 1-0 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series heading into the off day on Wednesday.
Game Two of the series is set for Thursday evening at Neuroscience Group Field. Will Rudy is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities has announced Ethan Bosacker as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm.
The last Wisconsin playoff win was in Game Four of the Midwest League Championship Series at Fort Wayne on September 16, 2012. The Rattlers were 0-4 in their last four postseason games before this win over the River Bandits.
Thursday night is College Night with a $2 bleacher or grass seat ticket available to students, faculty, and staff of local colleges when they show an ID. This is also a Craft Brews and Brats game to allow fans who are of legal drinking age to purchase any 16-ounce craft beer for $3 at this game, and all fans can purchase a Cher-Make brat for $3 thanks to Fox River Brewing Company and The Score.
Be one of the first 1,000 fans to attend Game Two of the series with Quad Cities and receive a Rattler Rally Towel from Pierce Manufacturing.
If you can’t make it to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the Timber Rattlers action. Game Two will be televised on tv-32 starting at 6:30pm.
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