Rattlers Take Series Opener from TinCaps

FORT WAYNE, IN - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers opened their three-game series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field with a 6-3 win on Friday night. Alec Bettinger pitched six scoreless innings while Zach Clark and Joantgel Segovia each had a nice night at the plate for the Rattlers.
Wisconsin (10-17) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second inning. Gabriel García drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to send Demi Orimoloye home.
 
Clark added to the Timber Rattlers lead in the fourth inning. He tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

The Rattlers added to their lead in the top of the seventh. Payton Henry singled to start the inning and Nick Roscetti singled with one out. Segovia, who had reached base on a walk and a single earlier in the game to move his on-base streak to 18 games, singled to knock in Henry from third for a 3-0 advantage.

Bettinger, the starting pitcher for the Rattlers, kept the TinCaps in check over his six innings. He allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out four to put himself in position for his first Midwest League win.

Fort Wayne (13-15) got on the scoreboard with a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Gabe Friese. The right-hander retired the first two batters he faced after the stretch, but gave up a single and a walk before Jack Suwinsky singled to drive in the TinCaps first run of the game.

Clark gave Wisconsin a little more breathing room in the top of the eighth when he lined a long, two-run home run to left field with one out. The homer was the third of the season for Clark. Wisconsin has hit at least one home run in each of their last five games. The team has a total of six home runs in their first five games this week.

The Rattlers added another run later in the eighth inning with an RBI infield single by Tristen Lutz.

Friese worked a scoreless eighth inning before giving way to Rodrigo Benoit for the bottom of the ninth.

But, before the TinCaps could bat in their half of the ninth, Hortonville, Wisconsin native Caleb Boushley entered the game for Fort Wayne to face the Rattlers in the top of the ninth. He retired the Rattlers in order with a strikeout.

Juan Fernandez drove in a run in the ninth with a two-out RBI double to make the score 6-2.

Benoit appeared to end the game with a strikeout of Tre Carter, but the pitch made it to the backstop to allow Carter to reach and Fernandez to take third. Benoit also struck out Esteury Ruiz, but the ball again went to the backstop to allow Fernandez to score and bring the tying run to the plate.

The game ended when Benoit got Justin Lopez to ground out to second for the final out of the ninth.

Wisconsin has won four of their last five games.
Game two of the series is Saturday night at Parkview Field. Nelson Hernández (3-2, 6.55) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Aaron Leasher (1-1, 3.48) is set to start for the TinCaps. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 5:45pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps.