Rattlers edge Kane County 5-3

GENEVA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to a 5-3 win over the Kane County Cougars Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Greg McCall drove in three runs with his bat and Monte Harrison used his legs and his glove to help the Rattlers to their second straight win.

Harrison doubled with one out in the top of the first inning and was at third with two outs. McCall dropped in a single just fair down the line in left to score Harrison for a 1-0 lead.

Kane County (20-23) evened the score in the bottom of the second inning. Henry Castillo reached on an infield single with two outs. Stryker Trahan lined the next pitch to right-center and Harrison made a diving attempt. The ball popped out of the centerfielder's glove and Castillo scored from first and Trahan stopped at first with the RBI single.

The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Colin Bray singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out, and stole third with two outs. Marty Herum's infield single was enough to get Bray home from third for the go-ahead run.

Wisconsin (13-30) tied the game in the top of the fifth. Dustin DeMuth singled to start the inning and stole second. Alan Sharkey singled sharply to right to move DeMuth to third. McCall's sacrifice fly to center was deep enough to drive in DeMuth with the tying run.

Kane County had runners on first and second with one out against Kodi Medeiros in the bottom of the sixth. Medeiros, the Rattlers starting pitcher, recorded a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but was at almost 90 pitches for the game. Wisconsin called on Luke Curtis to come on for the final out and the right-handed reliever struck out right-handed batter Dan McFarland for the final out of the frame to preserve the tie.

In the seventh, Harrison was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Then, Sharkey reached on a walk. McCall was asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt and it was a great one. The slow bunt up the third base line was fielded by the catcher Trahan who threw to first just in time to get McCall. But, Harrison noticed no one covering home plate and rushed home to score the go-ahead run without a play. Francisco Castillo followed with an RBI single to score Sharkey and the Rattlers were up 4-2.

Tucker Neuhaus scored from third on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning for a 5-2.

David Burkhalter, Wisconsin's third pitcher of the night, pitched a perfect seventh, but ran into trouble in the eighth. The Cougars had runners at first and third with one out when Henry Castillo sent a soft fly ball to shallow right-center. Harrison closed on the ball in a hurry, dove, made the catch and held on for the second out. The runner at third tagged and scored on the play, but the play limited the damage in the inning. Burkhalter kept Wisconsin up 5-3 with a strikeout for the final out of the eighth.

Burkhalter pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning - with help from another great catch by Harrison - and picked up his second save of the week. Burkhalter also earned the save on Monday in the first game of the current road trip with four scoreless innings at Burlington.

Wisconsin is 4-2 in the first six games of their eleven-game road trip.

Game three of the series is Sunday night. Luis Ortega (0-3, 5.40) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Kane County has Brad Keller (1-4, 3.09) as their scheduled starter. 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. Kane County also provides their MiLB.TV broadcast to subscribers.

WP: Luke Curtis (3-1)
LP: Steve Hathaway (0-1)
SAVE: David Burkhalter (2)

TIME: 3:05
ATTN: 7,306