Rattlers Fall in Slugfest

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers almost made it all the way back against the Beloit Sky Carp on Friday Night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.  The Rattlers trailed 9-2 after 5-1/2 innings, but the valiant comeback fell a run short at Beloit held on for a 10-9 win.  Dalvy Rosario did the damage for the Sky Carp with six RBI in the game.

Wisconsin (48-39 overall, 12-10 second half) scored an unearned run in the first inning to take the lead.  An errant throw to second on a force play wound up in right field and Darrien Miller took third base.  Tristan Peters drove in Miller with a sacrifice fly.

Beloit (40-47, 9-13) responded with three runs on four hits in the top of the second.  Dalvy Rosario tied the score with a sacrifice fly to center.  Marcus Chiu doubled in two runs and the Sky Carp were up 3-1.

Rosario found himself at the plate with runners at second and third with one out in the third inning.  He drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Rattlers got a run in the bottom of the fourth.  Peters started the inning with a double.  Wes Clarke followed with an RBI double, and the Rattlers were within two runs.  They would not score again with Beloit starting pitcher Jackson Rose on the mound.  Rose got the next two outs before Ashton McGee singled sharply to left, too sharply for Clarke to try to score.  Rose got the next batter on a foul pop to end the fourth and worked a perfect bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the fifth inning, Rosario was back at the plate with runners at second and third with one out.  He hit a popup that dropped on the grass in foul territory instead of into a defender’s glove and that extended his at bat.  He made Wisconsin pay with a three-run home run to the Beloit bullpen.  Jose Salas added an RBI double later in the inning for an 8-2 lead.

The Sky Carp added to their lead with an RBI grounder by Travis Bradshaw in the top of the sixth.  That run gave Beloit a 9-2 advantage.

Peters started the bottom of the sixth with a single against Beloit reliever Chris Mokma.  Then, Wes Clarke drew a walk.  Mokma got the first out of the inning with a strikeout before Ethan Murray started the scoring in the inning with a two-run double off the wall in left.  Ashton McGee followed with a double to right to score Murray and the Rattlers were down 9-5.

Mokma got the second out.  He would not get another.  Jose Acosta singled up the middle to drive in McGee.  Darrien Miller drove a double to the wall in right to score Acosta.  That drove Mokma from the game.

Joe Gray Jr greeted reliever Tyler Eckberg with a double down the line in left to drive in Miller and the Rattlers were within a run.

The teams traded runs in the eighth inning.  It was Rosario again in the top of the eighth inning.  This time he singled with two outs and a runner at second to drive home his sixth run of the game.  Darrien Miller scored from third on a wild pitch by Chandler Jozwiak with two outs in the bottom of the frame and the score was 10-9.

In the bottom of the ninth, Murray singled with one out.  However, Jozwiak got a game-ending 1-6-3 double play to preserve the win.

Game two of the series is Saturday night.  Justin Jarvis (7-5, 3.93) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Dax Fulton (2-6, 4.92) has been named the starting pitcher for the Sky Carp.  Game time is 6:40pm.

Iron Man, the Invincible Avenger, is making an appearance to meet your young superhero as part of Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night.  The Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing Iron Man-inspired jerseys for this game.  The jerseys are available in online auctions with end times of 6:30pm and 7:00pm on Sunday, July 24.  Make your bid at the link!  Tundraland presents postgame fireworks show with Kids Run the Bases available to children twelve and under courtesy of Meijer after the fireworks as part of Family Night with Stacey Hennessey Century 21 Affiliated and 101.1 WIXX.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio is set to start with the pregame show at 6:20pm.  The game is available to subscribers of MiLB.tv.  Plus, Saturday’s game will be broadcast on CW-14 in Northeastern Wisconsin starting at 6:30pm.