The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-3 lead over the Quad Cities River Bandits Wednesday night at Modern Woodmen Park.  The Bandits got close, but another flawless performance by the Rattlers defenders put the 5-4 decision in the win column.

Wisconsin (19-10) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Gregory Barrios and Luke Adams had consecutive doubles with two outs to give the Rattlers a run.

Jadher Areinamo made a sweet defensive play to end the bottom of the first inning and started the top of the second by stretching a routine single into a double.  Tayden Hall moved Areinamo to third with a ground out.  Eduarqui Fernández drove in Areinamo with another ground out for a 2-0 lead.

Patricio Aquino, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, was cruising through 3-2/3 inning before struggling to find the final out of the fourth.  He hit Jared Dickey on a 1-2 pitch and walked Dustin Dickerson on a 3-2 pitch.  Aquino went to a full count on Jack Pineda before Pineda singled to right to get Dickey home to score the River Bandits first run.

Quad Cities (17-12) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning against reliever Mark Manfredi.  The Wisconsin left-hander walked the lead-off hitter, struck out the next two batters, and was 1-2 to Brett Squires.  However, Squires lined a home run to right and gave the Bandits a 3-2 advantage.

Ben Kudrna, the River Bandits starting pitcher, worked around a one-out single in the top of the sixth inning and turned the 3-2 lead over to his bullpen for the seventh.

Brandon Johnson took over for the Bandits.  The right-hander had made nine appearances with three walks and 25 strikeouts over twelve scoreless innings before Wednesday.  The Timber Rattlers were not fazed by this information.

Areinamo started the inning with a single.  Tayden Hall walked.  Then, Fernández snapped an 0-for-14 slide with a bloop single to left to load the bases.

Terence Doston was next, and he sent a fly ball to deep center.  All three runners tagged to move up a base with Areinamo scoring the tying run.  Luis Lara lined the next pitch down the line in left for a two-run double and a 5-3 Wisconsin lead.

Squires took Manfredi deep again in the eighth inning.  This time it was a lead-off homer to cut Wisconsin’s lead to a single run.  Aaron Rund took over for Manfredi after the home run and retired the next three batters to send the game to the ninth with the Rattlers up 5-4.

Yerlin Rodriguez was called in to close the game in the bottom of the ninth.  The hard-throwing righty got the first out, but gave up a bloop single to Omar Hernandez, the number nine batter in the Bandits lineup, to bring the winning run to the plate with the top of the order.  Then, the Timber Ratters defense took over the game to secure the victory.

Carson Roccaforte lined a 1-0 pitch to the gap in right-center that looked to be a game-tying extra-base hit.  Fernández raced back, reached up, and pulled in the ball with a back-handed catch for the second out.

Carter Jensen was the last chance for the River Bandits.  He sent a grounder up the middle.  Dylan O’Rae flagged down the ball on the outfield grass and fired to Barrios covering second to just get Hernandez with the force play for the final out.

The Timber Rattlers have played six consecutive errorless games.  The have only been charged with two errors in their last twelve games.

Game three of the series is Thursday night at Modern Woodmen Park.  Will Rudy (1-1, 4.58) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  Steven Zobac (1-1, 3.52) is set to start for the River Bandits.  Game time is 6:30pm.