The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Cedar Rapids Kernels 1-0 after the top of the first inning on Friday Night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers changed the game immediately as they scored eight runs in their first offensive turn on the way to a 13-3 victory over Cedar Rapids.
The Kernels (6-6) took the lead in the first inning on an unearned run. Wisconsin starting pitcher Brett Wichrowski committed a throwing error on a grounder back to the mound and instead of two outs with no one on base, Cedar Rapids had Gabriel Gonzalez at second with one out. Wichrowski got the second out on a grounder that moved Gonzalez to third base. Gonzalez scored when Wichrowski committed a balk to put the Kernels were up 1-0.
Wisconsin (8-5) stormed back by sending twelve men to the plate in the bottom of the first inning.
Dylan O’Rae started the rally with a walk and a stolen base. He would score on a throwing error off a grounder from Luis Lara. Mike Boeve drew a one-out walk. Then, Gregory Barrios doubled to left to score both Lara and Boeve for a 3-1 lead. Matt Wood singled to drive in Barrios and that was the end of the line for the Kernels starting pitcher Miguelangel Boadas, who retired just one batter in his first start of the season.
Jacob Noble relieved Boadas and got the second out of the inning but walked the next two hitters to load the bases. O’Rae in his second at bat of the inning beat out an infield single to drive in a run. Lara followed with a two-run single.
Wisconsin’s final run of the inning scored when Lara stole second as Noble’s pitch home went to the backstop to allow O’Rae to score on a wild pitch for an 8-1 lead.
Wood cracked a three-run home run in the bottom of the second. The homer was his first of the season to give him four RBI on the night.
Boeve continued his torrid start with an RBI single in the third inning for a 12-1 lead. Boeve was 2-for-2 with a walk on Friday after going 3-for-3 with a walk on Thursday to reach base in seven straight plate appearances. Boeve is 8-for-11 with three walks in four games of the series with Cedar Rapids. He is also 21-for-38 (.553) with thirteen walks in thirteen games this season.
Cedar Rapids scored a run off Wichrowski in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Agustin Ruiz. The Kernels had runners on first and third with one out in the inning before Wichrowski ended the frame with back-to-back strikeouts.
Aaron Rund relieved Wichrowski to pitch a scoreless fifth. Brian Fitzgerald pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh before allowing a run on a one-out RBI single by Ricardo Olivar in the eighth inning. Fitzgerald allowed nothing else in the inning thanks to consecutive highlight defensive plays by the defense. Fitzgerald speared a liner back through the middle for the second out. Barrios went deep in the hole to flag down a grounder and a strong throw to first for the final out.
Wisconsin put one final run across the plate in the bottom of the eighth when Cedar Rapids committed a two-out error with the bases loaded. The Kernels were charged with four errors in the game.
Chase Costello pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the game.
Boeve isn’t the only Timber Rattler having a great offensive series. Barrios was 3-for-3 with two walks on Friday night. He is 9-for-13 with five doubles. O’Rae, who was 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored on Friday, is 6-for-14 in the series.
The series is even through four games with each team collecting two wins.
Game five of the series is Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Alexander Cornielle (1-1, 5.40) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Cedar Rapids sends CJ Culpepper to the mound. Game time is 1:10pm.
