The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a big inning brewing in the first inning on Thursday night at Dow Diamond, but only managed to score one run. It would cost them as the Great Lakes Loons came up with the key hits when they needed them to record a 3-2 win in game three of the series.
The Timber Rattlers (23-35) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning against Great Lakes starting pitcher Ronan Kopp. Ben Metzinger drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Kopp struck out the next two batters before leaving with 32 pitches on his arm. Mitchell Tyranski got a strikeout to end the threat.
Great Lakes (41-18) scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. Back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with no outs. Luís García tied the game with a sacrifice fly. The Loons took the lead on a two-out, infield single by Ismael Alcantara to knock in a runner from third.
Wisconsin rallied to tie the game in the top of the second inning. Matt Wood drove in the tying run with a single. The Rattlers loaded the bases again in this inning but left all three runners stranded.
Damon Keith blooped in a double just fair to right with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to score the go-ahead run for the Loons.
Jerming Rosario, the third Great Lakes pitcher of the game, shut down the Timber Rattlers for five innings from the third through the seventh inning. He walked one and struck out eight without allowing a hit or a run as he turned that 3-2 lead over to his bullpen for the top of the eighth.
Jack Dreyer pitched a perfect top of the eighth with two strikeouts for the Loons.
In the top of the ninth, Boneny Robles got the first two outs before Jose Acosta lined a single to left to put the tying run on base. That hit by Acosta was Wisconsin’s sixth hit of the game, but their first since Wood’s RBI single in the second inning. Robles closed out the game with a flyout to center.
Wood went 2-for-4 as he extended his hitting streak to eleven games, the longest hitting streak by a Rattler this season.
The Rattlers are now 2-12 in games decided by one run this season.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Dow Diamond. Stiven Cruz (2-5, 6.91) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Maddux Bruns (0-1, 3.60) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
