Beloit pulls away for 7-1 win over Wisconsin
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Beloit Snappers broke up a tight game against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with six unearned runs after there were two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Beloit beat the Rattlers 7-1 on Thursday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Both teams has chances early.
Wisconsin (24-31) had runners at first and third with no outs after singles by Michael Reed and Orlando Arcia. But, a caught stealing, a strikeout, and a grounder to third ended the inning with no runs for the Rattlers.
The Snappers (34-25) had Daniel Robertson at second base with two outs in the fourth. Matt Olson sent a grounder up the middle and Arcia, the Rattlers shortstop, ranged over and cut the ball off in short center. Arcia saw that he had no play at first. He whirled and threw to the plate as Robertson - thinking the throw would go to first - headed for home. The throw was on target and Robertson was out by a wide margin to keep the game scoreless.
Beloit took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. John Wooten walked to start the inning. Ryan Matthews doubled into the left field corner to send Wooten home with the first run of the game.
Wisconsin would get back-to-back one out singles from Tyrone Taylor and Victor Roache to put runners at first and second in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alcantara got out of the jam with a flyout to left and a grounder to second.
Damien Magnifico, the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers, allowed one run on six hits and left the game with the team trailing 1-0 after five innings. Reliever Leonard Lorenzo retired the first six batters he faced in the game. Then, the teams went to the eighth inning.
Lorenzo issued a leadoff walk to Roberts. But, Roberts was still at first with two outs. He would steal second base with Bruce Maxwell at the plate. Then, Maxwell sent a grounder to short. The ball was booted by Arcia for an error to keep the inning alive.
Renato Nunez singled to center on the next pitch to drive in Roberts for a 2-0 lead. Matt Olson was next and he doubled to send in two more runs for a 4-0 lead. John Wooten's grounder to third was missed for an error on Mike Garza and Olson scored on the play for a 5-0 lead.
A single and a walk loaded the bases for Beloit and brought Roberts back to the plate. He singled to drive in two more runs and the Snappers were comfortably in front 7-0 after those six two-out runs in the eighth.
Alcantara pitched seven shutout innings to earn his seventh win of the season. He walked one and struck out seven.
The Rattlers got on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Arcia walked and Roache singled with one out. Max Walla drove in Arcia with a single to make the score 7-1, but the Rattlers would get no closer to the Snappers.
Wisconsin hosts the Snappers in the final game of their three game series on Friday night. Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jim Henderson is scheduled to make a rehabilitation assignment for the Timber Rattlers and Mike Strong (0-1, 3.38) is will also pitch for the Timber Rattlers. Michael Ynoa (0-1, 2.52) is set to start for Beloit. Game time is 7:05pm.
Friday is the final game of the Miller Summer Kickoff with Miller products available for $1.
Friday is also North Shore Bank Family Night. Children 12 and under receive a voucher good for a free soda and a free hotdog. There is a postgame fireworks display with Kids Run the Bases courtesy of Molina Healthcare for children 14 & under.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in for the broadcast on My NEW32's Sports Showdown starting with their pregame show at 6:30pm. The radio call will be available on AM1280, WNAM and timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. The game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.
WP: Raul Alcantara (7-1)
LP: Damien Magnifico (5-1)
TIME: 2:54
ATTN: 3,494