GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Cedar Rapids Kernels defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-2 on a cool, rainy Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Eduardo Del Rosario allowed two runs and struck out eight over eight innings to pick up the win.
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Cedar Rapids Kernels defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-2 on a cool, rainy Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Eduardo Del Rosario allowed two runs and struck out eight over eight innings to pick up the win.
Cedar Rapids (25-17) took the lead in the top of the fifth and it was a Wisconsin native who drove in the run. Jaylin Davis singled to start the inning and was bunted to second base. He was still there with two outs. Then, Ben Rortvedt, a 2nd round pick of the 2016 draft out of Verona High School, lined a double to left and Davis scored to put the Kernels up 1-0.
The Kernels scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-0 lead. Ariel Montesino doubled with one out and took third on an infield grounder. Rortvedt drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Rattlers catcher Nathan Rodriguez attempted a pickoff play at third and fired the ball into left and Montesino scored for a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin pitcher Nattino Diplan would throw a wild pitch to let Rortvedt to take third and then he hit Aaron Whitehead on a 1-2 pitch. Diplan uncorked another wild pitch that not only let Rortvedt score, but also allowed Whitehead to race around to third base. Christian Cavaness capped the inning with a single to score Whitehead.
The Rattlers (19-20) got on the board against Del Rosario in the bottom of the eighth. The right-hander allowed two hits through his first seven innings, but gave up three hits in the eighth. Demi Orimoloye lined a two-out double into the corner in left field to score Rodriguez and Gilbert Lara. However, Del Rosario ended the inning with a strikeout, his eighth of the game.
Tom Hackimer worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to close out the Timber Rattlers.
The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Zack Brown (0-2, 7.88) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Tyler Beardsley (3-2, 4.37) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 1:05pm.
It is a Brewers Sunday presented by Rasmussen College and Star 98. Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Tyler Thornburg, a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers All-Star in 2011, gets his own bobblehead and if you are one of the first 1,000 fans to attend this game, you will receive that bobblehead courtesy of Ansay & Associates. Fans may play catch on-field courtesy of Rasmussen College starting at noon. During the game, Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing their 2017 Brewers Sunday jerseys. Players will be available for a postgame autograph session sponsored by Tundraland.
If you can't make it to the stadium, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 12:45pm. The broadcast is also available on TuneIn Radio, IHeartRadio, and MiLB.tv.
