(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers could not hold on to three late leads against the Cedar Rapids Kernels Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Rattlers dropped a 6-5, thirteen-inning marathon to the Kernels, who scored twice in the bottom of the thirteenth for their fourth win in five games.
Cedar Rapids (43-65 overall, 12-32 second half) grabbed the early advantage as they took advantage of a lead-off walk on four pitches from Rattlers starter Andrew Healy to jumpstart a two-run rally in the third. Andy Lugo walked and stole second. Jacob McCombs singled to right to score Lugo. Eduardo Tait followed with a deep double to right-center to send McCombs home for a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin (57-48, 23-20) was shut down for six innings by Kernels starting pitcher Reed Moring once he got through a couple of early rough patches. The Rattlers had runners at first and second with one out in the second and Moring got an inning ending-double play. In the third, the Rattlers loaded the bases with two outs before Moring got the final out of that frame. Moring retired the final ten Wisconsin hitters he faced in the game as he turned a 2-0 lead over to the Kernels bullpen.
Cleiber Maldonado was out to face the Rattlers in the top of the seventh and was immediately in trouble after a lead-off walk to Luis Castillo and a single by Tayden Hall. Luiyin Alastre drove in Castillo with a single to center for Wisconsin’s first run of the game. Luis Peña tied the game with another single to center to score Hall from second base and send Alastre to third.
Sawyer Strosnider had the infield in with runners at second and third after Peña stole second. Strosnider hit a high chopper over the mound leaving shortstop Jose Salas’s only choice as the play at first and Alastre scored the go-ahead run.
Jacob Morrison, the Rattlers first reliever, pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, but got in trouble in the eighth. He walked McCombs to start the inning. McCombs stole second to get into scoring position. Tait drove in McCombs with a single.
The game remained tied until the top of the twelfth. Blayberg Diaz had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the tenth after starting catcher Edgardo Ordόñez was removed for a pinch-runner in the top of the tenth. Diaz stepped in with the placed runner still at second with two outs in the twelfth. He hit a deep fly to left that just missed going out. The ball hit the top of the wall for an RBI double and a 4-3 lead.
Luis Peña was next and he cracked a deep fly to about the same spot. However, the ball did not carry and died at the wall for the final out of the inning.
Michael Fowler, the third Rattler pitcher, had worked a scoreless eleventh and went back out for the twelfth. A weak grounder up the middle allowed the placed runner for the Kernels to take third base. Fowler walked Ricardo Pena to bring McCombs back to the plate. Fowler got a grounder near second off the bat of McCombs. Daniel Dickinson flipped to Alastre for the forceout on pinch-runner Byron Chourio. However, Alastre’s throw to first was wild to allow the placed runner to score the tying run.
Strosnider singled on the second pitch of the Wisconsin thirteenth to drive Peña home for another lead.
José Nova was tasked with getting the final three outs in the bottom of the thirteenth. He nearly got two on one pitch. Tait was the placed runners at second for Cedar Rapids. Yasser Mercedes hit a liner heading down the line in left. Third baseman Eric Bitonti made a leaping grab for the out and fired to second trying to double Tait off the base. It was a close play with Tait ruled safe to keep him on base. McDaniel singled on the next pitch and Tait raced for home with the tying run.
Nova got ahead of Salas with two quick strikes. Salas fouled off the next pitch. He hit the fourth pitch of the at bat to right-center. Strosnider tracked the ball to the gap but just missed making the catch. McDaniel raced home to score the winning run on the double by Salas.
Healy, in his Timber Rattlers debut, and Morrison both pitched five innings on Wednesday for the Rattlers. Healy allowed two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out four. Morrison allowed one run on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position. Wisconsin was 4-for-18 as they left nine runners on base and hit into three double plays. Cedar Rapids was 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position as they left eleven on base.
The game was scheduled to start at 12:05. However, persistent rain from early morning until early afternoon delayed the start of the contest by 122 minutes.
Game three of the series is Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Josh Knoth (4-2, 4.85) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Adrian Bohorquez (0-0, 5.34) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35pm.
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