GRAND CHUTE, WI – On Wednesday night, the Great Lakes Loons took early leads in both games of a doubleheader only to watch the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rally for two comeback wins. The Timber Rattlers know the feeling now after they had an early 2-0 lead over the Loons on Thursday night and had to watch the Loons rally past them for a 5-2 win at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Joey Wiemer gave Wisconsin (41-45) the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a lead-off homer. The blast was Wiemer’s second in as many games with the Rattlers.
Je’Von Ward added to the lead in the third with a solo homer. Ward has five homers on the season after that long ball.
The Loons (46-41) tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. Andy Pages drew a walk with one out but was still at first with two outs. Then, Zac Ching smacked a triple off the wall in center to score Pages. Eddys Leonard was next and he singled to left to get Ching home with the tying run.
Great Lakes used the home run to take the lead in the top of the fifth. Ryan Ward hit a two-run homer and Carson Taylor followed with a solo shot for a 5-2 advantage.
Neither team scored after that.
Wisconsin’s bullpen of Cristían Sierra (2IP, H, 3BB, 2K) and Harold Chirino (2IP, H, 0BB, 2K) held the Loons where they were at on the scoreboard. The Loons used two relievers to close out the game, too. Franklin De La Paz (4.1IP, H, 5K) and Jeff Belge (2IP, 0H, 3K) didn’t allow Wisconsin to get anything going offensively.
Yeison Coca had three hits for the Timber Rattlers with two singles, a double, and a stolen base but he was stranded each time.
The loss denied the Timber Rattlers a chance to match their longest winning streak of the season. Great Lakes ended a five-game losing streak with their win on Thursday.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Nick Bennett (1-2, 4.56) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Loons have named Cole Percival (3-3, 3.60) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 7:05pm.
