(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – Josh Knoth pitched five solid innings and was backed up with a late offensive explosion that included four home runs as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beat the Cedar Rapids Kernels 12-6. Marco Dinges went 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBI to lead Rattlers to the Wednesday afternoon win at Neuroscience Group Field.
Wisconsin (38-28 overall, 4-0 second half) scored three runs on five hits in the first inning. Josiah Ragsdale started the rally with a lead-off single and an errant pickoff throw allowed him to take second. Dinges reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners. Braylon Payne drove in the first run when he grounded into a force play at second to allow Ragsdale to score.
The rally continued with consecutive singles by Eric Bitonti and Daniel Dickinson to load the bases. Daniel Guilarte cashed in two runs with a two-out single on an 0-2 pitch for a 3-0 lead.
Cedar Rapids (31-37, 0-4) scored in the fourth inning. Brandon Winokur doubled with one out. Caden Kendle followed with a single to center to drive in Winokur. Wisconsin starting pitcher Josh Knoth got the final two outs of the frame on a pair of grounders to shortstop to maintain a 3-1 lead.
That run in the fourth was the only one Knoth allowed on Wednesday afternoon. The right-hander finished his day with a perfect fifth inning. Knoth worked five innings in a game for the first time this season. He walked none and struck out two to put himself in line for his first Midwest League win.
Wisconsin’s offense got going again in the fifth inning. Dickinson, who was on base four times on Wednesday, walked, stole second, and scored on a single by Luis Castillo for a 4-1 lead.
The Kernels didn’t make it easy. They had runners at the corners with no outs with Yerlin Rodriguez on the mound in the top of the sixth inning. Winokur hit a high chopper off the plate in front of the mound. Rodriguez fielded the ball and elected to come to the plate. The throw was high, the run scored, and the Kernels still had two runners on with no outs after cutting their deficit to two runs.
Rodriguez got the first out on a strikeout but a single by Yasser Mercedes loaded the bases. Danny De Andrade’s sacrifice fly drove in a run and moved Winokur to third base.
Cedar Rapids tried to steal a run to tie the game. Mercedes broke for second and drew a throw. Dickinson, playing second base, cut in front of the bag, and threw back to the plate in plenty of time to get Winokur, who had tried to steal home
Dinges and Bitonti provided the power for the Rattlers to pull away from Cedar Rapids in the bottom of the sixth. Dinges cracked a home run on the first pitch of the inning over the wall in center. Braylon Payn singled before Bitonti cleared the batter’s eye beyond the wall in center for a two-run homer and a 7-3 lead.
Henry Kusiak homered in the top of the seventh for the Kernels against Jason Woodward.
The Rattlers answered again in the bottom of the seventh. Ragsdale doubled to bring Dinges back to the plate. Dinges cleared the scoreboard beyond the wall in left for his second homer of the day and a 9-4 lead.
Ragsdale went 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, and two runs scored as he moved his on-base streak to 28 games. He has scored 31 runs during the streak.
Winokur hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to cut into Wisconsin’s lead again.
Juan Baez put the game out of reach with a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.
Tanner Perry pitched a scoreless ninth to close out Wisconsin’s fourth straight win to open the second half of the season.
Wednesday marked the fifth time the Rattlers have hit four homers in a game this season, but it was the first time they have completed that feat at home.
The seventeen hits collected by Wisconsin are the most they have had in a home game in 2026. Their season high is nineteen from a game at Peoria on May 10.
Knoth did earn the win, his first since he was a member of the Carolina Mudcats in 2024. Knoth had missed the 2025 season with an injury and didn’t join Wisconsin until May 21 of this season.
The series continues Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Ethan Dorchies (1-5, 6.48) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cesar Lares (0-1, 6.97) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:40pm.
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