(TIMBER RATTLERS)
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers needed something Saturday afternoon to salvage the final game of a six-game series with the Lansing Lugnuts. That something was 5-2/3 innings of shutout pitching from Tyson Hardin that propelled the Rattlers to a 2-0 victory. Hardin struck out seven to earn his second win of the season and to help the Rattlers end a five-game losing streak.
Hardin did need a little help from his defense to shutout the Lugnuts. Lansing (9-6) nearly took the lead in the top of the third. Tommy White doubled with two outs. Then, TJ Schofield-Sam singled to left. White tried to score, but Jheremy Vargas’s throw to the plate was in time to keep the game scoreless.
Blake Burke started the rally for the Rattlers in the bottom of the fourth with a double. Jadher Areinamo extended his hitting streak to ten games with a single to put runners on the corners. Eduardo Garcia drove in Burke with a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin (5-10) added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Hedbert Pérez doubled and advanced to third on a wild pickoff throw to second. Yhoswar Garcia delivered the run with a double to center for the 2-0 advantage.
Hardin was in control after the single by Schofield-Sam in the third inning. He retired eight batters in a row – five of them via the strikeout – until he walked Schofield-Sam with two out in the top of the sixth. Hardin set new professional single-game highs for innings pitched and strikeouts. The only walk he allowed was on his last hitter of the game after his only full count of the game.
Zach Peek was called in to close out the game for the Rattlers and he got the final four outs for his first save as a Rattler.
The Rattlers are 3-0 in Hardin’s three starts this season. He has not allowed a run while striking out sixteen over 14-2/3 innings.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Sunday and Monday. They return to action on Tuesday with the first game of a six-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Game time is 6:35pm.
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