Captains score three in ninth to beat Wisconsin
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Lake County Captains scored three runs on four straight hits with one out in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Captains rallied for a 4-3 win to spoil a terrific start by Wisconsin pitcher Jorge Lopez and even the three game series at a win for each team.
Wisconsin (39-49 overall, 10-13 second half) scored first. Victor Roache broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. Roache's tenth home run of the season came off Lake County starter Robbie Aviles, who had allowed two hits through the first 4-1/3 innings.
Garrett Cooper followed the home run by Roache with a single. It was the first hit as a Rattler for Cooper, the 6th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2013 draft who was playing in his second game with Wisconsin. Parker Berberet didn't let Cooper stay on base for long. Berberet launched a two-run home run to left and the Rattlers were up 3-0.
Lopez cruised through the first 6-1/3 innings as he allowed one hit and struck out four. Logan Vick doubled with one out in the top of the seventh. Jeremy Lucas singled Vick home with two outs to get Lake County their first run. Lopez got the final out of the frame and turned the game over to the bullpen.
Taylor Mangum gave up a pair of hits with one out in the top of the eighth, but kept Lake County (36-54, 13-10) from scoring. That was not the case in the ninth.
Joe Sever lined a home run to left with one out in the ninth to cut Wisconsin's lead to one run. Lucas followed with a single to left and was replaced by pinch runner Erik Gonzalez. Eric Haase was next and he doubled into the left field corner on a 3-2 pitch to drive in Gonzalez with the tying run. An error on the play allowed Haase to take third base as the go ahead run.
Mangum got ahead of Anthony Santander 1-2, but Santander sent a grounder up the first base line for a double. The Rattlers thought the ball was foul, but the call wasn't going to be overturned and the Captains had a 4-3 lead.
Max Walla singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Wisconsin could not stage a comeback.
Sunday was the first time the Timber Rattlers have lost when leading a game heading into the ninth inning. Wisconsin had been 27-0 in that situation prior to Sunday's loss.
The final game of the series is Monday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Johnny Hellweg is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Lake County taps Ryan Merritt (5-8, 3.62) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 12:05pm.
Monday is a Qdoba Q*Monday. Purchase a lunch entrée at either Qdoba location in Appleton and receive a free ticket to any Monday home game during the 2013 season. Plus, as a day game, The Rattlers, Baker Tilly, WVBO, & WNAM also present a bonus Businesspersons Special for this Monday matinee. Show your business card at the ticket window and receive a ticket for a box seat, your choice of beverage, and your choice of brat or hotdog for $11.50. This offer is also available to fans 55 & older.
Also, the Timber Rattlers invite members of their Silver Foxes Club to come out and participate in a Senior Stroll from 10:30am to 11:30am before the game. If you're not a member, you may join for free as long as you are aged 55 or older.
And the first 1,000 fans to attend the game will receive a poster of Timber Rattlers shortstop Orlando Arcia. This is poster number eight in a series of ten from Dunkin Donuts that have been given away during the 2013 season.
If you can't make it out to the stadium, there are several ways to catch the action. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel has the television broadcast starting at noon. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 11:45am. Monday's game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.
HOME RUNS:
LC:
Joe Sever (4th, 0 on in 9th inning off Taylor Mangum, 1 out)
WIS:
Victor Roache (10th, 0 on in 5th inning off Robbie Aviles, 1 out)
Parker Berberet (5th, 1 on in 5th inning off Robbie Aviles, 1 out)
WP: Benny Suarez (2-2)
LP: Taylor Mangum (2-5)
TIME: 2:22
ATTN: 2,283