Rattlers alone in first after 3-1 win in Beloit
Jason Rogers gave the Rattlers (35-22) a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the top of the first. That double also put runners at second and third with no outs against Beloit starter Tyler Jones. But, Wisconsin would not score again in the first.
Eddie Rosario tied the game in the bottom of the first inning. The Snappers second baseman homered to right with two outs against Wisconsin starting pitcher Drew Gagnon.
The Rattlers regained the lead in the top of the second. Chadwin Stang singled to right and the ball got past Snappers outfielder Wang-Wei Lin to the wall. Stang raced to third. Carlos George's sacrifice fly to left got Stang home for a 2-1 lead. Jones settled in after that run in the second inning. Jones retired the final 15 batters that he faced and struck out five.
Beloit (34-23) had a runner on in every inning except the second inning, but could not dent the plate.
The Snappers got to Gagnon for a leadoff double in the third, a leadoff single in the fourth, and two out doubles in the fifth and sixth innings. But each time Beloit was poised to tie the game, Gagnon stymied them and kept the lead at 2-1.
The Rattlers offense got going again in the top of the seventh inning against Beloit reliever AJ Achter. Greg Hopkins drew a leadoff walk. Then, Cameron Garfield doubled to left-center and Hopkins hustled home with an insurance run for a 3-1 lead.
Gagnon was touched for a one out triple in the bottom of the seventh inning, but escaped with a strikeout and a ground out.
Beloit mounted one more threat against the Wisconsin starting pitcher in the eighth inning. Tyler Grimes singled to start the inning. Gagnon got his fourth strikeout of the game for the first out, but he hit Nate Roberts to put the tying run on base and bring Rosario to the plate as the lead run.
Rosario had singled and doubled to go along with his first inning homer over his first three at bats, but Gagnon won the final battle by getting the Snappers second baseman to ground into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.
Closer Seth Harvey would allow a one out single in the bottom of the ninth inning, but nothing else as he finished off Beloit for his twelfth save of the season.
The final game of the series - and of Wisconsin's thirteen game road trip - is Monday night at Pohlman Field. Chad Thompson (2-1, 5.06) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Tim Shibuya (2-3, 5.17) is set to start for Beloit. Game time is 7:00pm.
Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:40pm.
HOME RUN:
BEL:
Eddie Rosario (7th, 0 on in 1st inning off Drew Gagnon, 2 out)
WP: Drew Gagnon (4-1)
LP: Tyler Jones (0-1)
SAVE: Seth Harvey (12)
TIME: 2:14
ATTN: 994