(TIMBER RATTLERS) CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers staged a late comeback a Veterans Memorial Stadium to send Friday’s game with the Cedar Rapids Kernels to extra innings. However, the red-hot Kernels held off the charging Rattlers in the top of the tenth before scoring a run in the bottom of the tenth for a 5-4 victory.
Cedar Rapids (52-35 overall, 12-9 second half) loaded the bases in the second inning against Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Birchard on a single, a hit batsman, and a walk. Birchard got the first out on a strikeout. Caden Kendle scored the first run of the game with a bloop single to center. Birchard, still working with the bases loaded, got the second out on another strikeout. However, a single by Kyle DeBarge scored the second run of the frame. Wisconsin escaped further damage in the inning when shortstop Jadher Areinamo made a diving stop of the ball in short left and the runner from second base rounded third too far. Areinamo threw the ball to third and the runner was caught between third and home for the final out.
Luiyin Alastre started the Wisconsin third inning with a single. Daniel Guilarte followed with a double. Then, Areinamo singled sharply to right to score Alastre. The throw in from right missed the cutoff man and rolled all the way to the Wisconsin on deck circle by the third base dugout with no one backing up the play. Guilarte alertly raced for home and scored the tying run.
The Kernels went back in front in the bottom of the fourth against reliever Jaron DeBerry. Jaime Ferrer doubled to left as the lead-off batter in the inning. Kyle Hess singled to right to drive in Ferrer and took second on the throw to the plate. A single to center by Andy Lugo put runners at the corners. Kendle cashed in Ferrer with a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 lead.
Areinamo (40-47, 6-16) pulled the Rattlers back to within a run in the top of the eighth with a lead-off home run against Eston Stull. The homer was his tenth of the season.
In the top of the ninth, Yhoswar Garcia drew a lead-off walk, stole second, and went to third on a single by Alastre. Guilarte tied the game with a sacrifice fly to deep right. Areinamo was next and he singled for his fourth hit of the night to move Alastre to second with the go-ahead run. However, both runners were left stranded.
In the tenth inning, Wisconsin had runners at the corners after a one-out infield single by Juan Baez moved Eduardo Garcia, the runner placed at second to start the inning, to third. Both runners were left stranded. Wisconsin left ten runners on base and went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the game.
The Kernels started the tenth inning with Danny DeAndrade at second base. He moved up on a wild pitch by reliever Yerlin Rodriguez to put the winning run at third with no outs. Rodriguez got the first out on a tough grounder to short that Areinamo was able to stick with, look the runner back at third, and throw to first.
Rodriguez appeared to get strike two on a foul ball into the stands off the bat of Ferrer. However, catcher’s interference was called on Blayberg Diaz to allow Ferrer to take first base. He would take second without a play with the infield playing in on the grass and Hess at the plate.
Hess worked the count full before bouncing a single back up the middle to score DeAndrade with the winning run for the Kernels seventh consecutive win.
Areinamo had his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the season on Friday night. He also moved his league-leading total of hits to 99 for the season.
Friday was only the third time Wisconsin has suffered a walkoff loss this season. The last time they lost on a walkoff was April 22 against the Kernels in Cedar Rapids.
Game two of the weekend series at Veterans Memorial Stadium is scheduled for Saturday night. Manuel Rodriguez (0-2, 2.27) has been named as the starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Cedar Rapids plans to go with Alejandro Hidalgo (0-2, 5.37). Game time is 6:35pm.
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