(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – Eric Bitonti is the new Wisconsin Timber Rattlers single-season home run record holder after cracking his 24th homer of the season in support of a near-spotless start from Wande Torres in a 9-0 victory over the South Bend Cubs Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Bitonti went 3-for-4 with the historic homer, two doubles, three runs scored, and four RBI for Wisconsin.
Yannic Walther gave the Timber Rattlers the early lead. Luis Castillo walked to start the bottom of the second inning, but he was still at first base with two outs. Then, Walther drilled a 2-2 pitch off the top of the wall in left to drive in Castillo for the 1-0 advantage.
Wisconsin (64-54 overall, 30-26 second half) added on with four runs in the bottom of the third as they knocked South Bend starting pitcher Nazier Mulé out of the game.
Mulé walked Sawyer Strosnider and gave up a double to Daniel Dickinson with one out. Bitonti doubled to right to drive in both runs for a 3-0 lead. Castillo walked again to put two runners back on base for the Rattlers.
A wild pitch with Luiyin Alastre at the plate allowed both runners to move up a base and a wild throw to third by catcher Justin Stransky let Bitonti score and Castillo to take third. Another wild pitch on ball four to Alastre let Castillo score Wisconsin’s fifth run of the game.
Alastre padded the lead with an RBI single to score Bitonti in the fifth inning. Bitonti started the inning with his second double of the game.
Torres was outstanding. He retired the first ten batters that he faced. The Cubs had two on with one out in the fourth after a single and a walk when Torres got a 1-6-3 double play to end the threat. He retired South Bend in order in the fifth and allowed a two-out walk in the sixth.
The Cubs (70-49,31-26) got another threat going in the seventh inning on a one-out single by Kade Snell and a two-out single by Alexey Lumpuy. That second single chased Torres from the game. Bjorn Johnson entered from the Wisconsin bullpen and got the final out of the seventh with a strikeout.
Torres allowed three hits over his 6-2/3 shutout innings, walked two, and struck out eight. Torres has 126 strikeouts in 115 innings this season.
Bitonti hit his record-breaking home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Dickinson was on base after being hit by another pitch. Bitonti, who had tied Braylon Payne’s franchise record with a home run on Wednesday night, lined the first pitch he saw from Yoendris Gonzalez off the clock above the South Bend bullpen for his 24th home run of the season.
Payne broke the old record of 22 that had stood for sixteen years with his 23rd home run of the season at Beloit on August 8. Payne’s record stood for less than three weeks.
Luis Lameda added one more run for the Timber Rattlers with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
Johnson closed out the game with 2-1/3 scoreless innings allowing one hit and striking out three. Thursday night was the tenth shutout of the season for Wisconsin’s pitching staff.
Game four of the series is set for Friday night. Jayden Dubanewicz (3-5, 4.94) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Alfredo Romero (0-1, 10.24) is set to start for the Cubs. Game time is 6:40pm at Neuroscience Group Field.
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