Rattlers smash Snappers in season finale

BELOIT, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Beloit Snappers 11-0 on Monday afternoon at Pohlman Field. Wisconsin scored all of their runs with two outs and cruised to a win in the final game of the 2011 season for each team. Wisconsin ended their six game losing streak with the win.

Wisconsin (67-72 overall, 29-40 second half) had the first scoring opportunity of the game. Reggie Keen drew a leadoff walk and Joey Paciorek followed with a single in the top of the third. Both runners moved into scoring position on a grounder. But, the Rattlers could not cash in to take the lead.

The Rattlers did cash in on their next chance. Chad Stang singled to start the fifth. Keen sacrificed Stang to second. A fly ball to left moved Stang to third. Then, Greg Hopkins came through with a two-out single to score Stang for a 1-0 lead.

Then, Wisconsin broke out the bats in the seventh for their biggest inning of the season.

Keen was at first with two outs and Hopkins scored him with a triple to right-center against Snappers reliever Ben Tootle. Nick Shaw made it 3-0 with an RBI double. Then, TJ Mittesltaedt drew a walk to keep the inning going. Cody Hawn was next and he would send Shaw in with an RBI single and the Rattlers weren't done yet.

Nick Ramirez greeted Beloit reliever Bart Carter with a two run double. Mike Walker drew a free pass and Chad Stang would single to load the bases. Keen reached on an infield single to score one run and a throwing error on the play let in a second run.

Joey Paciorek capped the big inning with an infield single to knock in Stang for a 9-0 lead.

In all, the Rattlers sent 13 men to the plate in the top of the seventh. They had nine straight batters reach base after there were two outs in the inning as they pulled away from Beloit.

The Snappers (69-69, 31-37) here held to two hits by five Timber Rattlers Pitchers. Charly Bashara, Dan Britt, Casey Medlen, Alan Williams, and Greg Holle combined to strikeout 13 Beloit hitters in the two-hit shutout.

Wisconsin tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth inning - both with two outs. Keen and Paciorek recorded consecutive RBI doubles to account for the final runs and an 11-0 lead.

Stang paced the offense with three hits and three runs. Paciorek also had three hits and drove in two runs. Ramirez, Keen, and Hopkins also had two RBI in the game.

The Timber Rattlers open the 2012 season at Time Warner Cable Field on Thursday, April 5. Game time against the Cedar Rapids Kernels is 6:35pm.

See you there!

WP: Dan Britt (6-3)
LP: AJ Achter (5-8)

TIME: 2:29
ATTN: 1,156