Early offense leads to big Rattlers win
GENEVA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the second to build an early 7-0 lead on the way to an 11-5 win over the Kane County Cougars Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Victor Roache, Adam Giacalone, Mike Garza, and Max Walla each drove in two runs for Wisconsin in the game.
The Timber Rattlers (29-35) loaded the bases with one out against Kane County starting pitcher Dillon Maples. Orlando Arcia reached on an error, Tyrone Taylor singled, and Michael Reed drew a walk. Roache smacked the first pitch of his at bat to left for a two-run single and a 2-0 lead.
A walk to Giacalone reloaded the bases. Garza drew another walk from Maples to force in a run. Brent Dean knocked in the fourth run of the inning when he grounded into a force play at second.
Then, Walla was hit by a pitch thrown by Maples and the Cougars made a pitching change as the bases were reloaded. Justin Amlung entered the game and got the final out of the first.
But, Wisconsin got to Amlung for three runs in the top of the second inning. Arcia and Taylor started the inning with singles. Reed, who extended his on-base streak to 35 games with his walk in the first inning, doubled to right-center to drive in Arcia. Amlung got the first out, but Giacalone drove a single through the drawn in infield to plate both Taylor and Reed for a 7-0 Rattlers advantage.
Kane County (29-36) collected four hits and three runs against Wisconsin starting pitcher Preston Gainey in the bottom of the third. Bijan Rademacher knocked in the first run with a double. Later in the inning, Dan Vogelbach drove in Rademacher with a ground out. Jeimer Candelario plated the final run of the inning with a two-out RBI single.
Garza got one of those runs back with a two-out double in the top of the fourth inning to drive in Reed.
The Cougars made it 8-4 with an RBI single by Wilson Contreras in the bottom of the fourth.
Gainey worked a scoreless fifth inning and turn that 8-4 lead over to Eric Semmelhack for the sixth. Semmelhack kept the score at 8-4 as he worked three scoreless innings.
Then, the Rattlers tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth. Max Walla doubled to drive in two runs and scored later in the inning for an 11-4 lead.
The Cougars got the final run of the game when Rademacher homered to right with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Semmelhack ended the game by retiring the next batter. Semmelhack allowed three hits and one run in four innings of work to pick up his first professional save.
The win was the third straight for the Timber Rattlers.
Taylor went 3-for-6 and scored two runs for Wisconsin. Reed walked twice, stole two bases, drove in one run, and scored three runs for the Rattlers.
The final game of the series - and of the first half of the Midwest League schedule - is Sunday afternoon. Tyler Wagner (6-4, 3.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Kane County counters with Pierce Johnson (4-5, 3.45). Game time is 1:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 12:40pm.
HOME RUN:
KC:
Bijan Rademacher (2nd, 9th inning off Eric Semmelhack, 2 out)
WP: Preston Gainey (3-5)
LP: Dillon Maples (0-2)
SAVE: Eric Semmelhack (1)
TIME: 3:07
ATTN: 6,803