Game one
(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were the beneficiaries of a strong start from Josh Knoth and another home run from Braylon Payne to defeat the Lansing Lugnuts 9-0 in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field.
Payne gave the Timber Rattlers (53-43 overall, 18-15 second half) the lead with a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Payne, who has hit three homers in his last three games, has 21 on the season to give him the Midwest League lead and move him to within one homer of the Wisconsin home run record.
The Timber Rattlers staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth with help from the Lugnuts defense. Yannic Walther walked with one out, but he was still at first base with two away. Payne and Daniel Dickinson reached on back-to-back infield grounders that were misplayed for errors to load the bases. Lansing starter Steven Echevarria walked Eric Bitonti on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. Luis Castillo followed with a two-run double for a 4-0 lead.
Echavarria’s game ended after a walk to Tayden Hall reloaded the bases.
Filippo Di Turi greeted reliever Mitch Myers with a two-run single for a 6-0 lead. Wisconsin sent eleven men to the plate in the frame with seven in a row reaching after two outs.
Knoth was electric. The Wisconsin starting pitcher struck out seven, allowed three hits, and walked one over six scoreless innings.
Lansing (41-56, 12-21) had two chances to get to Knoth.
In the fourth inning, a one-out double by Ali Camarillo and a walk to Jake Reinisch put two runners on in a one-run game.. Knoth struck out the next batter for the second out. Then, the Lugnuts attempted a double steal with Walther, the Wisconsin catcher throwing out Reinisch as the trail runner at second base for the final out of the inning.
In the sixth inning, Dylan Fien reached on a two-out error. Camarillo followed with a single to left. Fien took third on the play and an errant throw allowed Camarillo to take second base. Knoth received a visit from pitching coach Pat McGuff struck out Reinisch for the final out of his start. Knoth set a new professional high for innings pitched in a game to earn the quality start.
José Nova pitched the top of the seventh and worked around a one-out single to close out the Rattlers second straight shutout of the Lugnuts and eighth shutout of the season.
Game two
Luis Lameda picked a great time for his first hit as a Wisconsin Timber Rattler. The third baseman had been 0-for-13 after his call up to Wisconsin from the Wilson Warbirds. He delivered a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field. Wisconsin picked up the 6-4 win and a twinbill sweep.
Wisconsin (53-43 overall, 19-15 second half) struck early and often with a four-run first inning. Luis Peña started the rally with a single and he moved to second on a wild pitch. Daniel Dickinson drove in Peña with a one-out single to right for a 1-0 lead. Eric Bitonti followed with a single. Luis Castillo launched a 3-0 changeup from Lansing starting pitcher over the wall in right for his thirteenth home run of the season and a 4-0 lead.
The Lugnuts (41-57, 12-22) fought back to tie the game with two runs in the second and two runs in the fourth. Wisconsin starter Jayden Dubanewicz had runners at first and second with two outs and made a wild pickoff throw to second that allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Gunner Gouldsmith drove in both runners with a single to right.
Gouldsmith came to the plate with runners at first and second in the fourth inning and lined a double to right-center to knock in both runs and tie the game. Dubanewicz struck out the next two batters to strand Gouldsmith and keep the game tied.
Jacob Morrison, in his Timber Rattlers debut, took over for Dubanewicz to start the fifth inning. He pitched around an error in the fifth and a one-out double in the sixth to hold the line.
The winning rally started for the Rattlers on a two-out single by Tyler Rodriguez in the bottom of the sixth against Lansing reliever Riley Huge. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Huge walked Filippo Di Turi to keep the inning alive for Lameda.
Lameda laced the first pitch from Huge to left-center. Rodriguez scored easily. Di Turi raced around the bases and beat the throw to the plate for a 6-4 lead.
Morrison walked the first batter of the seventh. Then, Milwaukee’s third round pick of the 2025 draft, retired the next three batters to finish of the game. Morrison allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three as he earned his first Midwest League victory.
The victory was the third straight for Wisconsin and allowed them to clinch a series win as they are 4-1 against the Lugnuts this week.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon. Ethan Dorchies (4-7, 5.36) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Samuel Dutton (1-7, 4.62) has been named the starter for the Lugnuts. Game time at Neuroscience Group Field is 1:10pm.
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