Final: Wisconsin 5, Burlington 8

Rattlers can't hold lead and drop 8-5 decision in Burlington
By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
06/23/2012 10:58 PM ET

June 23, 2012 BURLINGTON, IA - In a game of rallies, the Burlington Bees got the last one and beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 8-5 Saturday night at Community Field. Eliezer Mesa's two-out, three-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Bees a 6-5 lead and the Burlington bullpen held on for the win. The loss was the fourth straight for Wisconsin.

Burlington (35-37 overall, 2-0 second half) grabbed the early lead against Rattlers starting pitcher Drew Gagnon. There were two runners on with one out in the bottom of the first inning when Landaeta struck. The Bees first baseman hit a fly ball down the left field line that just stayed fair for a three-run homer and a 3-0 lead.

Wisconsin (44-27, 0-2) got their first run of the game with a home run of their own. Ben McMahan hit a solo homer with one out in the fourth inning for the Rattlers first hit of the game.

The Rattlers came out swinging in the fifth inning. Bees starter Seth Frankoff recorded the first out. The next six Wisconsin batters connected with hits. Chadwin Stang singled to start the rally. Wisconsin caught a big break on Greg Hopkins bloop single to right. Stang was running on the pitch and started to head back to first when it looked Bobby Crocker would make the catch. Crocker trapped the ball and should have forced Stang at second. But, the throw was wild and both runners stayed alive.

Brandon Macias followed with a single to left field to drive in Stang and send Hopkins to third. However, Macias got caught in a rundown trying to advance to second on the throw to third.

Mitch Haniger was at the plate with Hopkins at third base. Before Haniger could take the bat off his shoulder, Hopkins scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 3-3.

Haniger restarted the rally with a single to left. That was the first professional hit for Milwaukee's supplemental first round pick in the 2012 draft. Haniger had two hits and a walk in five plate appearances on Saturday night. Nick Ramirez continued the hit parade with a single to knock Frankoff out of the game.

McMahan greeted reliever Drew Tyson with a double off the wall in left-center to score a pair of runs and put Wisconsin in front 5-3.

Gagnon held the Bees in check until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Burlington had nobody on base when number nine hitter Nick Rickles blooped in a single the barely reached the outfield grass behind first base. Sean Jamieson was next and his single drove Gagnon out of the game.

Lefty reliever Stephen Peterson came on to face left-handed batter Chih-Fang Pan. Peterson got a weak grounder on the infield grass to short, but Pan beat the throw to first to load the bases. Mesa was next and hit a double that one-hopped the wall near the line in the right field corner. All three runners scored and the Bees took a 6-5 lead.

Cameron Garfield drew a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth inning and pinch runner Lance Roenicke took second on a passed ball. Yadiel Rivera bunted Roenicke to third, but the tying run was left stranded there when the inning ended.

Burlington tacked on two more two-out runs in the eighth inning to go up 8-5. The Rattlers could not recover from the late three run deficit.

The final game of the three game series is Sunday afternoon. David Goforth (5-4, 5.56) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Burlington plans on Drew Granier (9-3, 3.02) to start for them. Game time is 2:00pm.

HOME RUNS:
WIS:
Ben McMahan (5th, 0 on in 4th inning off Seth Frankoff, 1 out)

BUR:
Douglas Landaeta (8th, 2 on in 1st inning off Drew Gagnon, 1 out)

WP: Drew Tyson (1-0)
LP: Stephen Peterson (1-1)
SAVE: Jonathan Joseph (3)

TIME: 2:51
ATTN: 1,457

Wisconsin Box Score
Ben McMahan led the way for the Rattlers offense, going 2 for 4 with a double and his fifth home run of the season. He knocked in three of the TRats five runs. Mitch Haniger got his first professional hit and finished the night 2 for 4 with a walk. Chadwin Stang also had a pair of hits and stole a base. Greg Hopkins, Brandon Macias, Nick Ramirez and Max Walla each contributed a base hit as well. Walla was caught stealing for the sixth time in thirteen attempts. Macias committed his 10th error.

Drew Gagnon got hit early, giving up three runs in the first inning, but then settled down and pitched pretty well. He struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He got in trouble again in the seventh, allowing back to back two out singles. Stephen Peterson came on in relief to play the role of Kameron Loe, allowing both inherited runners to score, before surrendering the lead and taking the loss.

Wisconsin Play By Play
The Rattlers four run fifth inning saw them string together six straight hits to take the lead
Wisconsin Top of the 5th
Max Walla strikes out swinging.
Chadwin Stang singles on a line drive to right fielder Bobby Crocker.
Gregory Hopkins singles on a line drive to right fielder Bobby Crocker. Chadwin Stang to 2nd.
Brandon Macias singles on a fly ball to left fielder Rashun Dixon. Chadwin Stang scores. Gregory Hopkins to 3rd. Brandon Macias out at 2nd on the throw, left fielder Rashun Dixon to shortstop Sean Jamieson to first baseman Douglas Landaeta.
With Mitch Haniger batting, wild pitch by Seth Frankoff, Gregory Hopkins scores.
Mitch Haniger singles on a line drive to left fielder Rashun Dixon.
Nick Ramirez singles on a ground ball to right fielder Bobby Crocker. Mitch Haniger to 3rd.
Pitcher Change: Drew Tyson replaces Seth Frankoff.
Ben McMahan doubles (10) on a fly ball to left fielder Rashun Dixon. Mitch Haniger scores. Nick Ramirez scores.
Cameron Garfield flies out to right fielder Bobby Crocker.