(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers grabbed an early lead to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 7-3 in game one of a doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field on Wednesday afternoon. Wisconsin score two runs in each of the first three innings to take that early lead.
The Timber Rattlers (6-3) took advantage of two walks and a double steal. Marco Dinges and Josh Adamczewski had consecutive RBI singles with one out to give Wisconsin the early 2-0 lead.
Braylon Payne stepped to the plate in the bottom of the second inning with Luis Castillo on second and Josiah Ragsdale on third. Payne singled sharply to center to score Ragsdale. Payne would get caught in a rundown between first and second long enough to allow Castillo to score.
Josh Adamczewski cracked a lead-off home run in the bottom of the third inning to extend the Wisconsin lead and knock Peoria starter Nolan Sparks out of the game. Later in the third, Castillo added to the lead with a sacrifice fly.
The Chiefs (3-7) rallied in the fourth inning against reliever Quinton Low. Jalin Flores reached on a one-out triple and Low walked the next two hitters to load the bases. José Suárez followed with a three-run double, and Wisconsin’s lead was cut in half.
Daniel Dickinson got one of those runs back with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.
Jesus Flores, Wisconsin’s third pitcher of the game, worked around a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth to maintain the lead. The top of the sixth opened with a single. Flores avoided trouble when Andrew Fischer snagged a liner to third and doubled the runner off first for a double play. Payne made a diving catch in center for the final out of the inning.
The first two Peoria batters of the seventh inning reached against Bryan Rivera to threaten the comeback. However, Rivera got the final three outs to close out the game
Adamczewski drove in two runs for the Rattlers. Payne reached base four times with two singles, a walk, and a hit batsman. He also added two steals, a run, and an RBI.
Game 2
Late home runs by Josiah Ragsdale, Marco Dinges, and Josh Adamczewski brought the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers back from deficits of 4-1 and 5-4 and propelled them to a 6-5 victory over the Peoria Chiefs in game two of Wednesday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field. The win, coupled with a 7-3 Rattlers win in game one, gave Wisconsin a doubleheader sweep of the Chiefs.
Peoria (3-8) grabbed the early lead. Won-Bin Cho was hit by a pitch to start the game. Rainiel Rodriguez lined a triple to right-center to drive in Cho. An RBI grounder off the bat of Jalin Flores drove in Rodriguez for a 2-0 advantage.
Sammy Hernandez added a run for the Chiefs in the top of the second with an RBI grounder. In the third, José Suárez lined a two-out, solo homer to left for a 4-0 lead.
Wisconsin (7-3) had runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom of the third inning. David Garcia grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to get the run home from third.
Tanner Franklin, the Chiefs starting pitcher, struck out three straight Rattlers to retire the side in order in the bottom of the fourth to give him six strikeouts. He went back out for the fifth but was not as fortunate.
Adamczewski started the frame reaching on a hit batsman. Eric Bitonti hit a high popup to left field that was dropped by Suárez for an error. That brought Ragsdale to the plate as the tying run. Ragsdale launched a three-run run home run deep to right to even the score 4-4.
The Chiefs went back into the lead in the top of the sixth. Jose Cordoba drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out RBI single to center.
Peoria reliever Christian Worley got the first out of the bottom of the sixth but hung a 3-2 pitch to Dinges. The Rattlers designated hitter crushed the ball off the videoboard for his second homer of the season and a tie game.
Adamczewski, who had homered in game one of Wednesday’s twinbill, followed with a long home run to give Wisconsin its first lead of the nightcap.
Michael Fowler pitched around a lead-off walk in the seventh to close out the game and the doubleheader sweep.
Game three of the series is set for Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Ethan Dorchies (0-1, 9.95) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Peoria places Leonel Sequera (0-0, 6.75) on the mound to start. Game time is 6:40pm CDT.
Craft Brews & Brats Night is planned for Thursday at the ballpark. Everyone can enjoy Brats from Salmon’s Meat Products and Celsius Mocktails for $3. All craft beers are available to fans of the legal drinking age for $3 from Fox River Brewing Company.
A $4 reserved bleacher ticket offer is available to college students, staff, and faculty with a current ID for the second College Night of the series. Order College Night tickets in advance at this link.
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