Big Hit by Belonis Gives Wisconsin a Walkoff Win

GRAND CHUTE, WI - It was Carlos Belonis's turn. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers outfielder dropped in a single to drive in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 5-4 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The walkoff win was the third for the Rattlers during their seven-game homestand. The victory also moved the Rattlers to within two games of the Wild Card spot in the Western Division.

It was not an easy win for the Rattlers.

Magneuris Sierra started the game with a double. Brian O'Keefe put the Chiefs (68-60-1 overall, 29-31-1 second half) in front with a two-out double off the wall in left on an 0-2 pitch. In seven games on this homestand, the opposing team scored first in six.

Sierra and O'Keefe combined to put Peoria's second run on the board in the top of the third. Sierra reached on an infield single and took second on a ground out. Eli Alvarez would reach on another infield single to move Sierra to third. Then, O'Keefe sent a fly ball to right that was deep enough to score Sierra for a 2-0 advantage.

The Rattlers (64-66, 30-30) managed two hits off Peoria starting pitcher John Kilichowski through the first five innings. Wisconsin would rally in the sixth. Trent Clark singled to start the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Jake Gatewood reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners for Lucas Erceg. The left-handed designated hitter drove a pitch deep to right-center off the top of the wall. The ball came back to the field of play as Erceg raced for third with a triple that scored Clark and Gatewood with the tying runs.

Peoria went to the bullpen for Harley Holt to replace Kilichowski and as Holt made his warmup tosses, Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson made his case that the call should have been a home run due to the ground rules of the stadium. The ball had hit the top of the wall and bounced back in off the wires between posts set behind the wall for fans on the beach seating area. The call was changed to a homer and Erceg trotted home with the run that put the Rattlers up 3-2.

Left-handed reliever Christian Trent, who entered the game for the Rattlers in the top of the sixth in his Midwest League debut, struck out Sierra with runners at the corners and two outs in the seventh. He would get the first two batter in the top of the eighth before waling O'Keefe. Chris Chinea was next and he launched a home run over the batter's eye in center and the Chiefs were back in front 4-3. Nate Griep came in to get the final out of the eighth.

Tyler Bray came out of the Chiefs bullpen for the bottom of the eighth inning and gave up a one-out single to Jonathan Oquendo before getting an inning-ending double play.

Griep, the Rattlers closer got the first two outs in the top of the ninth before giving up a double to Sierra. The hit was the fourth of the night for the St. Louis Cardinals prospect, but he would be stranded at second to keep the Rattlers down by a run.

The drama really ramped up in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Gatewood singled and Erceg doubled to start the inning against Bray, who had given up the walkoff hit to the Rattlers on Monday in game one of the four-game series. Bray bounced back to get a strikeout. Then, the wheels started to turn.

Erickson sent left-handed Juan Ortiz to pinch-hit. Ortiz had driven in the winning run for the Rattlers with a single against Bray on Monday with runners at second and third with one out and first base open. The Chiefs elected to walk Ortiz in this spot.

Erickson then sent left-handed Isan Diaz to the plate to pinch-hit for Luis Aviles. Diaz, the Midwest League leader in homers with 19, was not in the starting lineup on Friday night for the first time since May 30. However, with lefties hitting .372 against Bray this season, he would not be off for the entire night.

Diaz and Bray battled to a full count, but on the seventh pitch of the at bat Bray got a swinging strike three for the second out of the inning.

Belonis was the last chance for the Timber Rattlers and he came through with flying colors. Belonis fought off an 0-1 pitch and the ball dropped in shallow right near the line to score Gatewood from third with the tying run. Erceg was racing for the plate as Carlos Torres fielded the ball cleanly and fired to the plate. The throw was just a bit offline that allowed Erceg to slide in headfirst just ahead of the tag of O'Keefe to score the winning run of the 5-4 Wisconsin victory.

The walkoff win was the eighth of the season for the Timber Rattlers.

In the second half Western Division Wild Card race, the Burlington Bees lost 2-1 to the Kane County Cougars at home and the Quad Cities River Bandits lost 12-2 at Cedar Rapids. The Bees record slipped to 32-28 and Quad Cities is now 27-33. Wisconsin has pulled to within two games of the Bees and Quad Cities remains five games off the pace. There are ten games remaining in the regular season.

Burlington begins a four-game series on the road against Peoria on Thursday night. They follow that with three-game at Clinton and wrap up the season with three games at home against the River Bandits.

The Timber Rattlers begin a four-game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa on Friday night. Jordan Yamamoto (6-8, 4.15) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The River Bandits have named Enrique Chavez (0-1, 6.75) as their starter. Game time is 7:00pm.

The radio broadcast is on 1280 AM, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:40pm. The game is also available on the internet through IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and MiLB.TV.