EASTLAKE, OH – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers dropped Game Three of the Midwest League Championship Series 9-4 to the Lake County Captains Wednesday Night at Classic Park. The Captains claimed the Midwest League title with their victory that featured a big five-run inning for the home team.
Wisconsin had the lead-off man aboard in the second, third, and fourth inning. However, Lake County starter Dylan DeLucia kept the Rattlers off the scoreboard each time. DeLucia would retire the first two batters in the top of the fifth and leave the game with 84 pitches under his belt.
Luis Lara drew a walk against reliever Jay Driver and stole second to keep the inning alive. Cooper Pratt sent a grounder to short, but Angel Genao bounced the throw to first and Ralphy Velazquez couldn’t make the scoop. Lara scampered home with the run as the ball rolled free for a 1-0 lead.
Lake County tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Jonah Advincula, who homered in Game Two last night, lined a long homer to right to even the score.
The game turned in the Captains favor in the sixth. Mason Molina, the seventh round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024 draft, made his Timber Rattlers debut when he came on in relief of starting pitcher Will Rudy.
Genao greeted Molina with a double to the wall. Wuilfredo Antunez followed with a double to the corner in right to score Genao with the go-ahead run. Molina walked the next batter, and he was replaced by Jeferson Figueroa.
Jake Fox knocked in Antunez with another double to make it 3-1. Then, Velazquez made up for not making the scoop in the top of the fifth by hitting a three-run home run to right for a 6-1 advantage.
The Timber Rattlers made it interesting in the top of the eighth with a three-run rally against Steven Perez. Jadher Areinamo doubled for his third hit – and second double – of the game. Yophery Rodriguez followed with an RBI single. Matt Wood also singled. Perez got the first out of the inning with a strikeout before being replaced by Zach Jacobs.
Jacobs, who had allowed an RBI, go-ahead double to Pratt in Game One on Sunday, got the second out on a deep fly to right off the bat of pinch-hitter Jesus Chirinos. Then, Jacobs hit Eduardo Garcia to load the bases.
Lara lined a single to right to drive in two runs and bring Pratt to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. Jacobs won this round as Pratt’s hard grounder to short was fielded by Genao and his throw to first was on target for the final out of the frame.
Lake County put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. Fox hit a lead-off homer against Tyler Bryant for a 7-4 lead. Bryant retired the next two batters before issuing a walk and giving up a single. Travis Bazzana and Genao each had back-to-back RBI singles for a 9-4 lead.
Shawn Rapp closed out the game with a perfect ninth to give the Captains their second Midwest League championship. Their first was in 2010, their first year in the league after moving over from the South Atlantic League.
Lake County went 5-for-6 with runners in scoring position and half of their twelve hits were for extra bases. Wisconsin had opportunities but stranded ten runners as they went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the 2025 season at Neuroscience Group Field on Friday, April 4. They will host the Cedar Rapids Kernels at 6:40pm.
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