Kane County beats the rain and the Rattlers
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Kane County Cougars scored twelve runs on twelve hits in a game shortened to seven innings by rain to beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 12-2 Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The win gave Kane County a three-game sweep of the Timber Rattlers.
Wisconsin (9-28) got off to a great start. Starting pitcher Cy Sneed retired the Cougars in order to start the game. Then, Monte Harrison and Dustin DeMuth singled to start the bottom of the first inning. Harrison took third on the single and DeMuth took second on the throw to third. But, Touki Toussaint, the #1 pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2014 draft and Sunday's starting pitcher for Kane County struck out the next two batters and got a grounder back to the mound to strand Harrison and DeMuth.
Kane County (18-19) loaded the bases with one out in the third inning on a pair of bloop singles and a bunt. Sneed got the second out, but Marty Herum tripled down the right field line to drive in all three runs. Herum scored moments later on a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead.
The Rattlers answered in the bottom of the third. Harrison drew a walk, stole second, and went to third on a ground out by DeMuth. Harrison scored on a grounder to first by Carlos Leal and the Rattlers were down 4-1.
Sneed got the first out of the top of the fourth, but Kane County loaded the bases again. Stryker Trahan reached first on a popup that was lost in the sun. Ryan Gebhardt sent a grounder to third that hit the base and bounded into left field for a double. Sneed hit the next batter to load the bases. Fenery Ozuna's flyball to shallow center was dropped and Trahan scored while everyone else moved up a base. Sneed got the second out. But, Victor Reyes tripled to right-center to drive in three more runs and the Cougars were up 8-1.
Toussaint allowed the first two batters of the fifth inning to reach base. Tucker Neuhaus doubled, his second hit of the game, and Brandon Diaz walked to chase Toussaint from the game with 90 pitches before he could qualify for the win. Nick Baker entered the game and got Harrison to ground into a force play at second. Baker threw wildly to first on a pickoff throw and that allowed Neuhaus to score.
The Cougars added to their lead in the top of the seventh against Wisconsin reliever Luke Curtis. Colin Bray doubled when a fly ball to left-center dropped after the outfielder tripped and fell going after the ball. Reyes was next and he lined a one-hop double off the wall in left to drive in Bray. Curtis got the first out, but Grant Heyman hit a triple to right-center to knock in Reyes and knock out Curtis.
Joe Munoz greeted reliever Josh Uhen to the game by hitting a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw and it was 12-2.
The Wisconsin grounds crew rushed the field after the final out of the Kane County seventh inning was record and managed to get the tarp on just before heavy rain showers hit the area. There was a one hour rain delay before the game was declared a final.
Wisconsin ended their seven-game homestand 1-6 and they are 1-14 in May.
The Timber Rattlers begin an 11-game road trip on Monday night with the first game of a four-game series at Community Field in Burlington, Iowa against the Burlington Bees. Kodi Medeiros (0-2, 5.65) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Burlington will send Jeremy Rhoades (3-1, 2.41) to the mound. Game time is 6:30pm.
Catch all the action on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio.
WP: Nick Baker (2-1)
LP: Cy Sneed (1-5)
TIME: 2:13 (1:00 delay)
ATTN: 5,425