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Rattlers Cruise to 8-2 Win over Chiefs

Gray Homers, Cruz allows two runs in five innings to lead Wisconsin
Stiven Cruz picked up his second win of the season with five solid innings for the Timber Rattlers on June 2, 2023 against the Peoria Chiefs. (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers)
June 3, 2023

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got a solid team performance to pick up an 8-2 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Joe Gray Jr and Ben Metzinger both went 2-for-4 with two RBI to pace Wisconsin’s ten-hit

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got a solid team performance to pick up an 8-2 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Joe Gray Jr and Ben Metzinger both went 2-for-4 with two RBI to pace Wisconsin’s ten-hit attack on the way to their third win in their last four games.

Click here for the boxscore

Click here for the postgame podcast with Joe Gray Jr and Joe Ayrault

Wisconsin (17-31) broke a scoreless tie with barrage of three straight extra-base hits to open the bottom of the fourth inning. Robert Moore started the inning by stretching a single into a double on a hit into right-center. Matt Wood followed with a double down the line in right to score Moore. Gray was next, and he launched a two-run homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

Peoria (22-27) rallied to within a run in the top of the fifth against Wisconsin starting pitcher Stiven Cruz. The Chiefs loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman. Victor Scott II singled to right with one out to drive in the first run. A bases-loaded walk to Nathan Church got the second run home with two outs. Cruz ended the inning with a foul pop.

The fifth inning was the only hiccup for Cruz. He went five innings and allowed four hits while he put himself in line for his second win of the season.

The Rattlers batters responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Ernesto Martinez Jr singled and stole second. Then, Terence Doston walked, and the duo pulled a double steal. Moore drove in Martinez with a grounder to second for a 5-2 lead.

Ryan Brady took over for Cruz in the sixth inning and worked three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to maintain the lead.

Wisconsin put the game away in the bottom away in the bottom of the seventh inning with three more runs. Darrien Miller had an RBI single with two outs. Metzinger followed with a two-run double for a 7-2 lead.

Doston would score on a wild pitch in the eighth inning for the final run.

Taylor Floyd struck out three in the top of the ninth to finish the game.

Game five of the series is Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Tyler Woessner (4-1, 2.84) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Trent Baker (2-3, 3.58) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:40pm CDT.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing Star Wars-themed jerseys during Star Wars Night presented by Stacey Hennessey Century 21 Affiliated. You can bid on these jerseys in auctions at this link. Half the jerseys will be in an auction that ends Sunday, June 4 at 6:30pm with the other half of the jerseys in an auction that ends at 7:00pm on June 4. The proceeds from the auction will go to Make-A-Wish ® Wisconsin through Timber Rattlers Give Back, the official 501(c)(3) of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

There are also some characters from the movies and shows to meet with fans during this fun night at the ballpark. Stay after the game and enjoy the postgame fireworks display presented by Tundraland. Then, kids aged twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Meijer on a Family Night presented by 101.1 WIXX.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 6:20pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link. The internet video feed is available to subscribers of Bally Live, too. The game will also be on CW-14 starting at 6:30pm.