The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers stormed back from a 6-1 deficit after a nearly two-hour rain delay stopped play against the Dayton Dragons in the eighth inning at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday night. The Rattlers scored three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to send the game to extra-innings only to see Dayton recover their composure for an 8-6 win in ten innings.
Wisconsin (20-20 second half, 46-58 overall) took the lead in the first inning. Robert Moore started the frame with a double, his 29th of the season. Brock Wilken knocked in Moore when his chopper up the third base line hit the base and bounded over the head of third baseman Sal Stewart for an RBI double.
Dayton (22-18, 55-51) tied the game in the fourth. Jack Rogers started the inning with a double and a single by Austin Hendrick put runners on the corners. Wisconsin starting pitcher Tyler Woessner struck out the next two batters and almost escaped. However, Mat Nelson lined a single to center to score Rogers with the tying run.
The Dragons took the lead in the fifth and got the first two batters on base the same as they did in the fourth. Edwin Arroyo doubled, and Sal Stewart singled to put runners at the corners. Cade Hunter sent a grounder to first and Wisconsin tried to turn two. The play at second was in time, but the return throw to first was late. Arroyo scored on the play for a 1-0 lead.
Jose Acuña, the Dayton starter, got the first two outs of the bottom of the fifth inning before walking Mike Boeve. Dragons’ manager Bryan LaHair walked out to the mound and a Dayton reliever started to jog out of the bullpen. However, LaHair elected to stay with Acuña, who got Wilken to ground into an inning-ending force out.
Dayton added to their lead in the seventh inning. Arroyo started the rally with a single against reliever Nick Merkel. The first out was recorded on a little grounder in front of the plate to move Arroyo to second. Then, Merkel walked Hunter. Rogers singled to score Arroyo. Austing Hendrick was next, and he drove a pitch to the wall in center for a two-run double. An error on the play allowed Hendrick to take third base. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Ruben Ibarra and the Dragons were up 6-1.
In the bottom of the eighth, Wilken was hit by a pitch and Matt Wood drew a walk with one out. Then, the skies above the ballpark opened to drop a heavy downpour that halted play starting at 8:55pm.
The game would restart at 10:44pm and Alex Hall sent the first pitch from Brooks Crawford over the wall in center for a three-run homer to get the Rattlers to within two runs.
Darrien Miller singled, Je’Von Ward walked, and Moore reached on bunt single to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Boeve sent a grounder up the middle. Arroyo grabbed it and stepped on second for an out as pinch-runner Terence Doston scored from third. Wilken was next. He hit a ball that hit in foul territory, but it spun back fair near the first base bag. Ruben Ibarra’s only play was to smother the ball to keep it from getting by him and to touch first for the out as Ward crossed home plate with the tying run. The Rattlers left the winning run stranded at second base and the game went to extra innings.
Justin King, who tossed a scoreless top of the ninth inning, went back out for the top of the tenth. The Dragons played for a run as a sacrifice bunt moved the runner placed at second on to third base. King walked the next batter. Then, Justice Thompson pulled a double to left to drive in the go-ahead run.
Wisconsin manager Joe Ayrault called Tanner Shears in from the bullpen at that point and the Rattlers intentionally walked Arroyo. However, Shears hit Stewart to force in an insurance run before striking out the next two batters.
Crawford retired the Rattlers on three routine flyouts in the bottom of the tenth to strand Wisconsin’s placed runner at second and close out the game for Dayton.
Game five of the series is Saturday night. Bradley Blalock (0-0, 4.50) is the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Chase Petty (0-1, 1.86) is set to start for the Dragons. Game time is 6:40pm CDT.
