Snappers out-slug Timber Rattlers

Beloit 12 at Wisconsin 11

W: S. Steedley (5-3, 2.14); L: R. Harmon (0-4, 6.48)
HR: BEL: A. De San Miguel (1). WIS: J. Dunigan (6), R. Garth (4), E. Colina (3).

The Beloit Snappers came out on top of a slug fest Sunday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium, dropping the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 12- 11.

Michael Pineda took the start for the Timber Rattlers against the Snappers' Santos Arias. Both pitchers hail from the Dominican Republic and despite a very aggressive Beloit offense in the first and second inning, both kept the opposing team off the board until the fourth rolled around.

Deibinson Romero singled out to left to lead off that stanza and Rene Leveret followed that up with a double that plated Romero. A wild pitch by Pineda would move Leveret to 3rd, and Ozzie Lewis saw fit to sacrifice him in to give the Snappers the first two runs of the game.

With one out on the board in the bottom half the fourth, Edilio Colina doubled. Following a fly out to Denny Almonte, Ronald Garth singled to drive in Colina. Joseph Dunigan doubled in Garth, and Juan Diaz tripled to plated Dunigan before Arias could get Joe White out on strikes to end the inning.

The fifth would be relatively quiet. Leveret would go down on strikes in the top of the sixth before Lewis took a walk. Keith Meyer would then take over the pitching chores from Pineda and unleashed a wild pitch, moving Lewis to second. Allan de San Miguel then drew a walk. Mark Dolenc tripled the pair in, and a sac-bunt by Estarlin De Los Santos brought Dolenc in to make it 5-3 Snappers.

Colina singled to lead of the bottom half the inning, before Arias took Almonte out on strikes. Garth then doubled to move Colina to 3rd. Field Manager Nelson Prada would call for a pitching change, getting Henry Reyes out of the bullpen. Reyes would allow a single to Dunican that scored Colina. Reyes then let go of his own wild pitch, allowing Garth to cross the plate. He would walk Diaz before getting Gavin Dickey and Isreal Nunez to ground out, with the game tied.

Ben Revere led off the top of the 7th with a walk. Deibinson Romero singled before the Timber Rattlers went to their bullpen again, this time selecting Jose Escalona to try his hand at the Snappers. He'd allow a walk to Leveret to load the bases, then a single to Lewis that scored Revere. Aussie catcher de San Miguel then hit a grand slam home run over the left field wall, to make it 10-5 Snappers. Beloit would load the bases again before Chris Cates hit into a double play to give Wisconsin a turn.

With one out on the board, Alex Meneses walked. Colina then went yard for his 3rd home run of the season. Denny Almote singled and advanced to second when Reyes was called on a balk. Garth would fly out, moving Almonte to 3rd before Dunigan took a walk. Juan Diaz then singled, plating Almonte, and a throwing error by Reyes allowed Dunigan to come home as well. Suddenly it was 10-9 Snappers.

Justin Souza replaced Escalona to start the eighth, and got Revere out on strikes. Romero and Leveret hit back-go-back singles that put runners on the corners. Lewis hit into a force out that plated Romero, and took Leveret down at 2nd. Lewis would then be caught stealing to retire the side.

Dutchman Loek Van Mil took over in the bottom of the 8th for Beloit and despite a walk to Nunez and a double to Meneses, kept Wisconsin from gaining additional ground on the Snappers.

The bottom of the ninth would be different however, as Garth hit his fourth home run of the season over the left field fence and Dunigan followed that up with his sixth yard ball of the season to tie up the game.

Spencer Steedly took over for Van Mil in the 10th, keeping Wisconsin quiet. With one out on the board in the 11th, Leveret singled and a wild pitch by Robert Harmon moved him to 2nd. Lewis would be called out on strikes and de San Miguel would draw a walk. Another wild pitch moved Leveret to 3rd. Mark Dolenc then singled to score Leveret for what would prove the game winning run.

Steedly made short work of Wisconsin the bottom of the stanza, sealing the game for the Snappers.

Dolenc finished up 4-for-5 with a walk a run and 3 RBIs. Leveret was 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs and a run scored, Romero was 3-for-6 with 3 runs. Revere as 1-for-4 with a pair of walks and a run, Lewis was 1-for-3 with 2 walks, 2 runs and 3 RBIs and de San Miguel finished up 1-for-4 with 2 walks, 2 runs, and 4 runs scored. De Los Santos was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.

Steely picked up the win, improving his record to 5-3, fanning 2 in two innings worth of work.

The loss was the Rattlers 10th straight. The final game of the series is Monday at 7:05 PM with Steve Hirschfeld (5-2, 2.74) taking to the hill for the Snappers against Wisconsin's Juan Ramirez (3-7, 4.59).

Box
Log
Snappers
Timber Rattlers
Saturday
GB Press-Gazette
Gazette

Elizabethton 3 at Bristol 3

Suspended - rain

The game between the Elizabethton Twins and the Bristol Sox was suspended in the top of the 7th due to rain. The game was tied at three each. It will be completed, August 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM. The teams completed game will be 9 inning in length. The second, regularly scheduled game, will be played as a 7-inning affair.

Jon Waltenbury and Danny Rams had hit back-to-back singles in the top of the 4th inning. Waltenbury would advance to 3rd on a fielding error by Kenneth Gilbert. Michael Harrington then singled to score both runners, while Harrington ended up at 2nd on a missed catch by shortstop Juan Silverio. 2 outs later, Nat Hanson would reach on a throwing error to score Harrington, giving the E-Twins 3 runs and tying up the game.

Mike Lanigan had taken the start, allowing 3 runs, only one earned, to the Sox on 3 hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He'd fan one. Omar Alcala was on the mound at the time the rains came.

Box
Log
Saturday
Tri-Cities.com