Rattlers sweep Clinton with 9-1 win

CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are staying on their roll heading into the final three games of the first half. Wisconsin defeated the Clinton LumberKings 9-1 Thursday night at Ashford University Field. Drew Gagnon pitched five shutout innings, Ben McMahan and Brandon Macias led the 13-hit attack with three runs each, and the Rattlers won their seventh straight game. The victory also gave the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers a three-game sweep of the LumberKings.

Wisconsin (44-23) scored first with a pair of runs in the first inning. Cameron Garfield drove in the first run with a double. A couple of pitches later, Nick Ramirez came home from third on a passed ball to put the Rattlers up 2-0.

Macias continued his hot hitting with a double to lead off the third inning. In thirteen games this month, Macias has 19 hits in 52 at bats. Max Walla drove him home with a single and took second on the throw home. Speaking of hot hitting, McMahan extended his current hitting streak to seven games with an RBI single to send Walla home for a 4-0 advantage.

The Rattlers would tack on four more runs with a two out rally in the fourth inning with Macias, Walla, & McMahan all figuring into the outburst. Macias drove in John Dishon with a two-out RBI double. Walla drew a walk and a single by McMahan loaded the bases to chase Clinton starter Ambioris Hidalgo from the game.

One of the first pitches from reliever Josh Corrales to Ramirez went to the backstop to let Macias score Wisconsin's sixth run of the game. A couple of pitches later, Ramirez singled to center to chase both Walla and McMahan home for an 8-0 lead.

Gagnon cruised through five innings. He allowed three hits, walked three, and struck out three. The right-hander out of Long Beach State University allowed just one runner to reach third base. Gagnon would eventually pick up his sixth win of the season to move his record to 6-1.

Kevin Shackelford took the mound for the bottom of the sixth inning. He would allow one run in the seventh on an RBI grounder by Mario Yepez, but the offense got that run back when McMahan's third single of the game knocked in Carlos George in the top of the eighth. Shackelford would earn his first professional save by tossing the final four innings of the game.

Wisconsin closed out their first half series against Clinton at 8-1, including a 6-0 mark at Ashford University Field.

The Timber Rattlers begin their final series of the first half on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa with game one of a three game set against the Quad Cities River Bandits. Chad Thompson (2-1, 5.55) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities counters with Hector Hernandez (4-4, 4.20) to take the hill. 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.

WP: Drew Gagnon (6-1)
LP: Ambioris Hidalgo (2-9)
SAVE: Kevin Shackelford (1)

TIME: 3:01