Rattlers Earn a Split with 5-2 Victory in Game Two

CLINTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got off to a fast start and held on for a 5-2 win over the Clinton LumberKings in the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader at Ashford University Field. The win puts the Rattlers one game under the .500 mark for the second half of the season with one game left in the series before the team returns home to start a series against Burlington on Wednesday night.
The Rattlers (52-60 overall, 21-22 second half) were shut out in a 4-0 loss in game one. Tristen Lutz made sure the Rattlers were not shutout in game two. Lutz crushed a two-run home run to left with one out in the first inning to put the Rattlers up 2-0. The homer was the twelfth of the season for Lutz.

Wisconsin added to their lead in the third inning when Lutz drove in Darren Seferina from third with a sacrifice fly.

Payton Henry blasted a leadoff home run in the top of the fourth inning. Henry's tenth homer of the season gave the Rattlers a 4-0 lead.

Clinton (59-54, 20-23) put four runners on against Wisconsin starting pitcher JT Hintzen in the game, but Hintzen, who was making his first professional start, didn't allow a run as he tossed three scoreless frames.

Carlos Herrera took over for Hintzen and worked three good innings to maintain the lead.

The Rattlers tacked on a run in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI double by Eddie Silva, who reached base five times in seven plate appearances during the doubleheader.

The LumberKings got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning and made the game interesting. Johnny Adams hit a leadoff homer against Herrera to snap the bid at a shutout. The homer by Adams also gave Clinton at least one home run in six straight games against the Timber Rattlers. The LumberKings have hit seventeen home runs in fourteen games against Wisconsin in 2018.

The next two batters singled against Herrera, who retired the next two batters, but an RBI single by Joseph Rosa chased Herrera from the game and brought the tying run to the plate in a 5-2 game.

Robbie Hitt took over for Herrera and got the final out to nail down his sixth save of the season.
The Timber Rattlers and LumberKings conclude their series on Monday night at Ashford University Field. Bowden Francis (5-7, 4.54) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Ray Kerr (3-10, 4.70) is set to start for Clinton. Game time at Ashford University Field is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps.