Quad Cities gets five in the eleventh to top Wisconsin
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Quad Cities River Bandits took advantage of three two-out walks in the top of the eleventh inning to score five times in the extra inning to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-2 Monday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Jordan Scott put Quad Cities in front with an RBI single and Teoscar Hernandez expanded the lead with a bases-clearing triple in the eleventh.
Tyrone Taylor started Wisconsin's first inning with a single. He stole second and tagged on a fly out to deep left to take third with one out. Mitch Haniger drove in Taylor with an RBI grounder to short for a 1-0 Timber Rattlers lead.
Quad Cities (11-5) tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. Rio Ruiz singled in a run with two outs to even the game 1-1.
An odd sequence gave the River Bandits the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Austin Elkins reached on a single and took second on a passed ball. A ground out allowed Elkins to take third base. Terrell Joyce was at the plate and that's when the weirdness started. Joyce swung at a pitch and made contact with the glove of catcher Clint Coulter. The ball trickled to the mound and Elkins broke for the plate. He beat the throw to score the run as Joyce eventually made it to first ahead of the throw.
The River Bandits turned down the catcher's interference call on Coulter and took the result of the play, a fielder's choice to let the run score and put them ahead 2-1.
Their lead did not last long.
Taylor drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth inning. A ground out moved Taylor to second base, but he was still there with two outs. Then, Victor Roache lined a 2-2 pitch off the base of the wall in center for an RBI double to tie the game.
The Rattlers (5-9) almost won the game in the bottom of the tenth. Taylor was on second with two outs. Mitch Haniger sent a grounder up the middle, but Quad Cities shortstop Carlos Correa ranged far to his left to keep the ball from getting to the outfield, but Correa had no play on Haniger at first and Taylor raced for home. Correa's throw arrived just ahead of Taylor and the speedy Wisconsin outfielder was ruled out on a close play.
Rattlers reliever Martin Viramontes retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the eleventh inning. Then, he walked the next three batters to load the bases. Scott singled to right to drive in the first run. Hernandez tripled to left-center to drive in three more runs. A wild pitch by Viramontes let Hernandez score the final run of the inning as the score suddenly went to 7-2.
The Rattlers did not score in their half of the eleventh despite a catcher's interference that let Roache reach base and singles by Clint Coulter and Alfredo Rodriguez.
Tuesday is the final meeting of the series between the Rattlers and River Bandits. Game time is 12:05pm. Ryan Gibbard (0-0, 0.93) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities has Mike Hauschild (1-0, 4.35) set to start.
Tuesday is a Baker Tilly Business Person & Senior Citizens Special presented by WVBO and AM1280, WNAM. Show your business card when you purchase a ticket and for $11.50 you will receive a box seat ticket, a beverage and your choice of brat or hot dog. The offer is also available to senior citizens (55 & older).
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in for the action on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 11:45am.
WP: John Neely (1-1)
LP: Martin Viramontes (0-1)
TIME: 3:02
ATTN: 489