Rattlers Pop Kernels 8-4 to Snap Streak
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lead-off batter Eric Brown Jr had his first four-hit game as a pro to lead the Rattlers to an 8-4 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at PG Cares Field on Tuesday night. The win ended a seven-game losing streak for the Rattlers.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lead-off batter Eric Brown Jr had his first four-hit game as a pro to lead the Rattlers to an 8-4 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at PG Cares Field on Tuesday night. The win ended a seven-game losing streak for the Rattlers. Brown homered, drove in three runs, scored twice, and stole a base as the Rattlers cracked twelve hits in their victory.
Click here for Eric Brown Jr's homer
Wisconsin .(12-27) grabbed the early lead. Brown Jr started the game with a single and stole second with one out. Then, Matt Wood singled to center to score Brown for the 1-0 lead.
Emmanuel Rodriguez got the game back to even for Cedar Rapids (22-18) with a one-out, solo homer in the bottom of the first.
Je’Von Ward struck back in the top of the second inning with a one-out, solo home run of his own to give the Rattlers the lead back. Wisconsin added on to their lead with four straight two-out hits. Eduarqui Fernandez singled and Brown followed with a home run that stayed just fair down the line in left. Robert Moore was next, and he doubled to the corner in right. Wood chased Moore home with his second RBI single of the night for a 5-1 lead.
Brown collected his third hit of the game in the sixth inning and the Rattlers got two runs on the play. Brown singled to left on a 3-2 pitch with two outs and runners at first and second. Both runners took off on the pitch and Ernesto Martinez Jr, the runner at second, scored easily on the hit to left. Eduarqui Fernández, the runner at first, headed for third and the throw there was wild. The ball ricocheted off the railing in front of the Wisconsin dugout and went behind home plate. Fernández saw no one covering the plate and he scored for a 7-1 lead.
Tyler Woessner, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, worked around traffic throughout his start, but only allowed one hit, the home run by Rodriguez through the first five innings. He allowed a double to Noah Cardenas with one out in the bottom of the sixth and left the game after getting his sixth strikeout of the game.
Taylor Floyd entered the game and gave up an RBI single to Willie Joe Garry Jr on the first pitch before getting the final out.
Woessner, who picked up his fourth win of the season, walked five and struck out six over 5-2/3 innings.
Cedar Rapids chipped away with a run on a two-out RBI single by Kala’i Rosario in the bottom of the seventh.
Max Lazar took over for the bottom of the eighth inning and faced runners at the corners with one out after a single, a wild pitch, and an error. Lazar was able to escape with back-to-back strikeouts.
Brown started the top of the ninth with a single, his fourth hit of the night. Moore grounded into a force play, but an error on the play let him take second base. Wood delivered one more time with a single to score Moore. This was Wood’s first three-RBI game for the Rattlers. He had two games with three RBI earlier this season with the Carolina Mudcats.
Rosario homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to account for the final run.
Wisconsin hitters were 4-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The Kernels were just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded eleven runners.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at PG Cares Field. Alexander Cornielle (0-1, 6.41) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jayden Nowlin (2-3, 4.06) has been named as the starting pitcher for the Kernels. Game time is 12:05pm. The broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 11:45am. 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.