Five-Run Second Inning Is Enough for Wisconsin Victory

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored five times in the second inning at Perfect Game Field on Wednesday night and it was enough. The Rattlers defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 5-3 to win their second straight game from the Kernels in the series.

Wisconsin (33-49 overall, 7-7 second half) had six consecutive batters reach base with one out in the top of the second inning and five of those runners scored to put the Rattlers up 5-0. Joantgel Segovia started the rally with a single. Ronnie Gideon and Nathan Rodriguez followed with walks to load the bases. Gilbert Lara drove in the first two runs of the inning with a single to right. Ryan Aguilar added two runs to Wisconsin's lead with a double to left-center. Demi Orimoloye singled sharply to right to get Aguilar to third. Then, Aguilar scored on a passed ball for the final run of the inning.

Cedar Rapids (45-39, 7-7) had base runners in the first four innings of the game against Wisconsin starting pitcher Braden Webb. However, Webb - thanks to a pair of double plays - was able to keep the Kernels off the scoreboard through four frames.

Webb got into trouble in the fifth as he issued a walk and gave up a hit to the first two batters of the inning. Webb got a strikeout, but walked another batter to load the bases as a hard rain was pouring down out of a clear blue sky. Then, Travis Blankenhorn walked to force in a run. Webb got out of the inning by getting Lewin Diaz to ground into an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play.

Webb would go back out for the sixth after the rain abated and he retired the Kernels in order before turning the game over to Nattino Diplan.

Diplan gave up a double and a pair of walks in the seventh, but stranded three runners to maintain the lead. He also allowed a double in the eighth, but stranded that runner, too. 

In the ninth, Diplan got the first out, but hit Gorge Munoz with a pitch. Aaron Whitefield followed with a triple to right-center to score Munoz. That would be all of Diplan as Daniel Brown entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen to face Blankenhorn.

Blankenhorn appeared to send a single into right field, but Weston Wilson, the Wisconsin second baseman was shifted over into short right and fielded the ball in the outfield to fire a strike to first four the out. Whitefield scored on the play to make the score 5-3, but there were two outs and no one on base for the Kernels.

Brown got Diaz to fly out to left to end the game to collect his fifth save of the season.

Wisconsin is 4-2 in the first six games of their current seven-game road trip.
The final game of the series - and of Wisconsin's road trip - is Thursday night at Perfect Game Field. Jordan Desguin (5-4, 5.68) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Domenick Carlini IV (3-6, 5.26) is the listed starter for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast is also available on TuneIn Radio, IHeartRadio, and MiLB.tv.