Lugnuts Surge Past Wisconsin Late

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Lansing Lugnuts erased a 4-0 deficit and defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-4 on Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Lugnuts wound up taking two of three games from the Rattlers in the series.
Pat McInerney gave the Timber Rattlers (13-19) the lead when he launched his sixth home run of the season to leadoff the fourth inning. Gilbert Lara was next and he reached on an error. Then, Zach Clark lined an opposite field home run to the home run porch in right and the Rattlers were up 3-0.

Later in the inning Joantgel Segovia singled to drive Payton Henry from second base and the Rattlers had a 4-0 lead.

Lansing (20-18) scored a run in the top of the fifth on a lead-off home run by Brock Lundquist.

That homer by Lundquist was the only run allowed by Wisconsin starting pitcher Alec Bettinger, who tossed six innings and struck out five. He would get a no decision in the game.

The Lugnuts rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning against reliever Michael Petersen. Samad Taylor started the inning with a single. He was running on the pitch when Yeltsin Gudiño sent a grounder back to the mound. Petersen threw to second, but Taylor beat the throw. Rattlers second baseman Nick Roscetti threw to first in time to get Gudiño for the first out. Matt Morgan followed with a double to left to knock in Taylor with the first run of the inning. 

Reggie Pruitt moved Morgan to third with an infield single. Then, the Rattlers got to experience some déjà vu.

Kevin Vicuña was at the plate and Pruitt broke for second on the pitch. Vicuña sent a grounder to Lara at short. The throw to second was too late to get Pruitt, but Roscetti's relay to first was in time to get Vicuña for the second out. Meanwhile, Morgan scored the second run of the inning.

Because the Lugnuts started the runner, Norberto Obeso got an opportunity with Pruitt at second as the tying run and he cashed in that chance with a single to center that chased Pruitt home to even the score 4-4.

Wisconsin's bats struggled to get anything going against Lansing reliever Colton Laws, who pitched four innings out of the pen, gave up two hits, walked none, and struck out six.

Lansing took the lead in the top of the eighth as the rain started to pelt down a bit harder. Reliever Cody Beckman retired the first batter of the frame, but hit Lundquist on a 2-2 pitch to put the lead run on base. Beckman walked the next two batters to load the bases before getting Morgan to foul out. Pruitt didn't let Beckman escape as he blooped in a double to short center that scored two runs and gave Lansing a 6-4 lead.

Lundquist put the game out of reach with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

Segovia had two more hits on Wednesday night and moved his current hitting streak to 12 games and his current on-base streak to 23 games. Segovia is hitting .500 (16-for-32) in seven games during May.
The Timber Rattlers will continue their homestand with the first game of a three-game series against the Great Lakes Loons on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Nelson Hernández (4-2, 5.97) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Loons have named Jesus Vargas (4-0, 1.57) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm.
Follow Local 5 on social media to find out how you can purchase $5 tickets for Local 5 Night on Thursday. 

Thursday is also a Craft Brews and Brats Night with Badger Club Amber, Wisconsin Brewing Company, and Fox River Brewing Company. Fans of legal drinking age may enjoy 12-ounce craft beers for $2. Cher-Make brats are also just $2 and they are available for everyone. Beers from Fox River Brewing Company, Wisconsin Brewing Company, and many, many more will be available.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game over the internet.