Eduardo Garcia hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers a 1-0, walkoff victory over the Beloit Sky Carp in game two of Friday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field. The win was Wisconsin’s first walkoff win of the season and gave them a sweep of the twinbill from their in-state rivals.
Beloit (19-17) was shutout 1-0 on two hits in game one by Tyson Hardin. In game two, Yiddi Cappe started the game with a single against Wisconsin starter Anthony Flores. He was running on an 0-2 pitch to Payton Green and was doubled off first base after Green’s liner to right was caught by Hedbert Pérez and the throw to first beat Cappe.
In the second, Jacob Jenkins-Cowart was at third base with two outs, when he strayed too far from the base on a pitch to the plate and was picked off on a throw from catcher Blayberg Diaz.
Wisconsin (16-21) had Jadher Areinamo at third with one out in the bottom of the fourth and Garcia at the plate with a 3-0 count. However, Garcia had a poor swing at a 3-0 pitch and chased the next two pitches from Beloit starter Ike Buxton to strikeout. Areinamo was left at third when Xavier Meachem took over to get the final out.
Flores worked through five scoreless innings, but not before walking a pair of batters in the fifth. He got out of the inning with his third strikeout and a grounder to third.
Bayden Root would toss a pair of innings in relief for Wisconsin to keep the game scoreless to the bottom of the seventh.
Then, Garcia crushed a 1-2 hanging breaking ball to his picture on the video board at 107.6mph for his fourth homer of the season and the only run Wisconsin would need to complete their doubleheader sweep.
That was the first walkoff home run by a Timber Rattlers in almost a year. Jesus Chirinos hit a three-run, walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Sky Carp on May 18, 2024.
The teams are scheduled to play one game at Neuroscience Group Field on Saturday afternoon. Ryan Birchard (0-2, 3.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jake Brooks (2-2, 6.98) is set to start for the Sky Carp. Game time is 1:10pm.
