The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers didn’t need a dramatic, ninth-inning rally on Wednesday night against the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Rattlers steadily built an 8-0 lead over the first five innings and fended off a mid-game rally by the Dragons for an 8-5 victory. The win was the second straight for the Timber Rattlers.
Wisconsin (11-9 second half, 37-47 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an infield single by Hendry Mendez.
Terence Doston started the top of the second inning with a double and went to third on a two-out, infield single by Matt Wood. Wood broke for second with Ernesto Martínez Jr at the plate and drew a throw. Doston broke for the plate and scored before Wood was tagged out and Wisconsin.
Mendez doubled Wisconsin’s lead with a two-run home run in the top of the third. It was the second home run of the season for Mendez.
The Rattlers would double their lead again with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Je’Von Ward hit a long homer with one out for the first run of the frame. There were two outs and none on when Doston was hit by a pitch. Robert Moore was next, and he lined a double to the corner in right.
Cameron Wagoner, the Rattlers starting pitcher, allowed three hits through the first four innings, but walked the lead-off batter in the bottom of the fifth. Cade Hunter followed with a homer to right and the Dragons were on the scoreboard. Wagoner got the next two batters before giving up a two-out double. The righty rebounded to strike out Edwin Arroyo to end the inning. That strikeout gave Wagoner eight for the game and allowed him to set a new single-game high as a professional. That performance would allow Wagoner to earn his second win of the season, and his first since April 14.
Dayton (9-11, 42-44) didn’t let Wisconsin cruise to the win as they closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of homers against reliever Miguel Guerrero. Austin Hendrick hit a lead-off homer. Later in the inning, Hunter hit a two-run home run to cut Wisconsin’s lead to three runs.
Karlos Morales stabilized the game for the Timber Rattlers out of the bullpen as he pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings with three strikeouts. Then, Shane Smith closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning for his second save as a Rattler.
Martínez had four hits and Mendez had three RBI to lead the Wisconsin offense. Jose Acosta, Doston, Moore, and Wood each had two hits in the game for the Rattlers.
The Timber Rattlers have scored seventeen runs on 34 hits in the first two games of the series in Dayton. Wisconsin is also 13-for-35 with runners in scoring position so far in the series.
Game three of the series is Thursday night at Day Air Ballpark. Alexander Cornielle (0-1, 5.23) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jose Acuna (6-0, 2.44) has been named the starting pitcher for the Dragons. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
