Beloit busts Wisconsin
BELOIT, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were looking for their third straight win when they took on the Beloit Snappers Monday night at Pohlman Field. Things looked good early as the Rattlers had a 3-1 lead after the top of the second, but the Snappers stormed to the lead with a run in the second and five in the third. Beloit beat Wisconsin 8-5 and the loss dropped the Rattlers another game behind the Wild Card leaders with time running out in the 2013 season.
Garrett Cooper put the Rattlers (54-67 overall, 25-31 second half) in front in the top of the first inning. Cooper, who drove in the go-ahead run in the tenth inning on Sunday, sent a towering flyball to left field for a two-run homer with two outs for a 2-0 lead.
Christopher Bostick got Beloit (68-58, 25-31) on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Bostick homered to right-center with two outs and none on base to make the score 2-1.
Wisconsin got that run back in the top of the second. Alfredo Rodriguez drove in Christopher McFarland from second base with a two out single to right and the Rattlers were up 3-1.
Matt Olson brought the Snappers back to within a run in the bottom of the second inning with a home run over the wall in center.
Beloit charged in front with five runs as they sent nine men to the plate in the third inning. Ryan Mathews started the frame with a double. A one out single by Bostick scored Mathews to tie the game 3-3. Rattlers starting pitcher Ryan Gibbard got the second out of the inning, but walked John Wooten to extend the Snappers turn at bat. Olson delivered a double to drive in Bostick and get Wooten around to third. Brett Vertigan was next and he singled to center to drive in both runners. The throw home missed the cutoff man and allowed Vertigan to take second base. Nick Rickles capped the scoring in the inning with a single to center to drive Vertigan in from second.
Max Walla doubled with two outs in the top of the fifth inning to drive in Cooper and Parker Berberet and the Rattlers were within 7-5.
But, Beloit added one more run against Gibbard on Olson's RBI double in the bottom of the fifth and the Snappers were up 8-5.
Berberet appeared to hit a two-out solo home run off Beloit reliever Vincent Voiro with two outs in the top of the seventh. The line drive to left was initially called a home run by plate umpire Masa Ichiki. Beloit manager Ryan Christenson asked Ichiki to consult with base umpire Sean Allen. There was a discussion between the umpires and the call was overturned. Matt Erickson came down to talk about the call and was eventually ejected by Ichiki.
Berberet struck out a few pitches later to end the inning.
On Sunday afternoon at Beloit, Wisconsin rallied from a three-run deficit with three runs in the top of the ninth to collect a stirring comeback victory in extra innings. On Monday night, Austin House pitched around a two-out single to Cooper and tossed a scoreless ninth to close out Wisconsin.
The Clinton LumberKings, the Western Division Wild Card leader in the second half, defeated Kane County 9-2 on Monday night to move their record for the second half to 29-27. The Timber Rattlers now trail Clinton by four games with fourteen games remaining in the regular season.
Game four of the series is Tuesday night at Pohlman Field. Eric Semmelhack (2-6, 4.99) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Beloit has Dylan Covey (0-1, 4.54) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 7:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:40pm.
HOME RUNS:
WIS:
Garrett Cooper (2nd, 1 on in 1st inning off Derek DeYoung, 2 out)
BEL:
Christopher Bostick (14th, 0 on in 1st inning off Ryan Gibbard, 2 out)
Matt Olson (18th, 0 on in 2nd inning off Ryan Gibbard, 1 out)
WP: Derek DeYoung (6-5)
LP: Ryan Gibabrd (4-5)
SAVE: Austin House (8)
TIME: 2:26
ATTN: 691