ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Snappers defeated the Timber Rattlers 11-10 in twelve innings. Eric Lis erased a 10-9 Rattler lead with a two-run, game winning home run in the bottom of the 12th. Lis and Rattler third baseman Ron Garth each had four hits. Wisconsin catcher JB Tucker homered twice for the Rattlers.
WHERE TO BEGIN? At the beginning, of course. Garth’s first hit of the night was his first home run of the season and it came on the fifth pitch of the night. The home run to start the game was the first for a Rattler since Josh Womack drilled a lead off homer on April 26, 2004. Womack also started the game on April 25, 2004 with a long ball. Oddly, all three of those lead off home runs have been hit at Pohlman Field.
AN IMPERFECT TEN: The Rattlers and Snappers combined for ten errors last night. Each team committed five errors. Beloit was charged with three errors on one play in the top of the sixth.
TUCKER TIMES TWO: Tucker hit a pair of go ahead homers last night. His ninth inning blast over the centerfield wall with one out put Wisconsin in front 9-8. In the twelfth, Tucker lined a lead off homer to left to put Wisconsin in front 10-9.
BLOWN UP: The Rattler bullpen blew a pair of save opportunities last night. Edgar Guaramato could not protect the 9-8 lead in the bottom of the ninth. Ruben Flores gave up a single and the game winning home run to Lis in the twelfth.
YES, IT IS: The Toby Gardenhire who entered last night’s game for the Snappers is the son of Minnesota Twin manager Ron Gardenhire. Toby Gardenhire was a 41st round pick of the Twins out of the University of Illinois in the 2005 draft.
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: Rattler outfielder Eddy Hernandez extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the eighth inning. Hernandez is 5-for-19 during the streak.
MEET THE STAFF: First year manager Jim Horner played for the Timber Rattlers in 1997. The new pitching coach for the Timber Rattlers is Lance Painter. The new strength & conditioning coach is Kale Hoyt. Hitting coach Tommy Cruz returns for his second season with the Rattlers. Trainer Jeremy Clipperton is back for his fifth season with the team.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Beloit Snappers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Last season, the Snappers made the Midwest League playoffs as the second half wild card in the Western Division. The Snappers took three out of four games from the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Pohlman Field in their opening weekend series.
VS. SNAPPERS IN ’05: The Timber Rattlers and Snappers spilt sixteen games in the regular season last year. The Rattlers were 4-4 at Pohlman Field. Wisconsin beat Beloit in a best-of-three first round Midwest League Playoff series last year.
MILK PAIL TROPHY: The Rattlers and the Snappers are playing for the Milk Pail again in 2006. The Milk Pail is a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the season series. The season series is tied 1-1.
TWIN PROSPECTS: Beloit has seven members of BASEBALL AMERICA’s Top 30 Twins list on their current roster. Pitchers Kyle Waldrop (#10), Eddie Morlan (#15), Adam Hawes (#28), and Alexander Smit (#30) are joined by Paul Kelly (#11), Drew Thompson (#19), and Henry Sanchez (#20).
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Brian Duensing was a 3rd round pick of the Twins out of the University of Nebraska in 2005. Duensing pitched five shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out seven for a no decision against Cedar Rapids on April 7. Last season with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, Duensing went 4-2 in twelve games with an ERA of 2.32.
RE/MAX HOME RUNS: RE/MAX Valley Realtors will donate $25 to the Children’s Miracle Network for every Rattler home run in the 2006 regular season. The donation in 2005 was $2525. The three homers last night puts the donation at $100 for this season.
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