Game 1
(TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers battery of Ryan Birchard and Marco Dinges powered the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to an 8-2 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels in game one of a doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Kaelen Culpepper gave the Kernels (30-21) the lead with a home run on the second pitch of the game from Birchard.
Wisconsin (26-26) responded in the bottom of the first with two runs. Juan Baez singled and Eduardo Garcia walked as the first two batters to face Cedar Rapids starter Jose Olivares. Dinges singled to center with one out to score Baez with the tying run. An error on the play allowed Garcia to score the go-ahead run.
Dinges delivered again in the bottom of the third with a two-out, two-run home run to center that put the Rattlers up 4-1.
Brandon Winokur, who committed the error on the single by Dinges in the first inning, got a measure of redemption in the top of the fourth inning with a long, lead-off homer. That would be the last run allowed by Birchard.
The Rattlers padded their lead with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Daniel Guilarte knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Juan Baez made it 6-2 with an RBI single later in the inning. Blake Burke added two more runs with a two-out single for the 8-2 advantage.
Birchard tossed 5-2/3 innings and struck out ten to set a new single-game high as a professional.
Bayden Root closed out the game by retiring all four batters he faced
Game 2
The Cedar Rapids Kernels needed a win in game two of Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to avoid a sweep and keep their playoff hopes alive. The Kernels would take advantage of eleven walks by Wisconsin pitchers and a key error in the fourth inning to go on to a 15-2 victory.
The start of game two was a carbon copy of game one. Kaelen Culpepper, who homered on the second pitch of game one against Ryan Birchard, hit a home run on the second pitch of the nightcap from Stiven Cruz to give the Kernels a 1-0 lead.
Cedar Rapids (31-21) added to their lead with a run on a sacrifice fly by Misael Urbina in the second inning.
Two-out hits and a two-out mistake led to the Kernels scoring five runs over the third and fourth innings against reliever Patricio Aquino.
A walk and a double to open the third inning put runners at second and third with no outs for the Kernels. Aquino retired the next two batters without allowing the runners to advance. Then. Caden Kendle hit a grounder down the third base line that was ruled fair for a two-run double.
In the fourth, Aquino had a runner at third with two outs. Nate Baez hit a grounder to third that was misplayed by Juan Baez to allow the runner to score and extend the inning. Aquino hit the next batter to put two runners on base, Then, Danny DeAndrade doubled to score two more runs for a 7-0 lead.
Cole Peschl, the Cedar Rapids starter, retired the first ten Rattlers he faced before walking Eduardo Garcia in the fourth inning. Garcia stole second base, his 21st of the season, to get into scoring position. Jadher Areinamo blooped in a single with two outs to score Garcia to put Wisconsin (26-27) on the scoreboard.
Tanner Shears entered the game in the top of the fifth inning and struggled to find the strike zone. He walked four straight batters to start the frame to force in a run. Kyle DeBarge was hit by a pitch to force in another run. That was followed by another bases loaded walk. Brandon Winokur singled home a run to knock Shears out of the game.
DeAndrade greeted reliever Jeferson Figueroa with a bases-clearing triple to put the Kernels up 14-1. Later in the inning, Pancho Ruiz had a sacrifice fly to play the final run of the game for Cedar Rapids.
Outfielder Luiyn Alastre got the top of the seventh inning on the mound for the Rattlers. He would retire the side in order on three popups, including one to himself just off the mound to end the inning.
Wisconsin scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. Tayden Hall doubled with one out. Yhoswar Garcia hit a grounder to short and a wild throw to first allowed Hall to score the final run of the game.
The Rattlers and Kernels split Wednesday’s twinbill with the Rattlers winning game one 8-2.
Game three of the series is set for Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Tyson Hardin (4-1, 1.29) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Ty Langenberg (0-3, 7.98) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:40pm.
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