Timber Rattlers Outlast Captains in Game 1 of Midwest League Championship Series

September 16, 2024 – Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Lake County Captains (77-53) (2-1) fell by a score of 5-4 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (77-54) (3-0) in Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series on Sunday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The game featured two ties and four lead changes, with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning from Wisconsin SS Cooper Pratt, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 58 overall prospect, deciding the contest.

Lake County struck first in the top of the first inning when 1B Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Cleveland and No. 72 overall prospect, smashed an RBI single on a grounder off the glove of Wisconsin 2B Jadher Areinamo, with another run scoring on the fielding error.

The Timber Rattlers countered with a three-run bottom of the first. 3B Luke Adams, MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 Milwaukee prospect, hit an RBI single, RF Yophery Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Milwaukee prospect, rolled an RBI groundout, and C Matthew Wood delivered a two-out RBI single in the ensuing at-bat.

In the top of the second, Captains RF Wuilfredo Antunez lined a two-out, game-tying RBI single. But the Timber Rattlers regained the lead in the home half of the frame when LF Hedbert Perez ripped an RBI double.

Lake County SS Angel Genao, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Cleveland and No. 87 overall prospect, re-tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. After Genao’s RBI, the Captains and Timber Rattlers pitched eight straight scoreless half-innings.

Lake County loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, but Wisconsin LHP Mark Manfredi induced an inning-ending flyout. The Captains threatened again in the top of the eighth, but Pratt robbed Genao of a go-ahead RBI single, throwing to first from shallow center field to end the half-inning.

Pratt then broke the deadlock for Wisconsin in the bottom of the eighth when his two-out, RBI double kicked off the third base bag to make it 5-4 Timber Rattlers.

In the top of the ninth, Antunez hit a lead-off single like he did in the ninth inning of Lake County’s 4-3 win in Game 1 of the Midwest League East Division Championship Series against Dayton. Wisconsin then turned a 6-4-3 double play, and RHP Tyler Bryant struck out Lake County CF Jake Fox, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 Cleveland prospect, to end the game.

Bryant earned his second save of the postseason for Wisconsin, and RHP Dikember Sanchez (1-0) earned…