Timber Rattlers take series opener 8-6
MIDLAND -- The Great Lakes Loons were unable to battle back from a four-run deficit Saturday night and lost 8-6 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers before a sell-out Dow Diamond crowd of 5,822 fans.
Down two runs in the first inning, the Loons quickly answered in the bottom of the frame when outfielder Nick Akins doubled in a pair of runners who reached base on lead-off walks.
In the following inning, Loons starting pitcher Ryan Christenson threw four straight balls to record a bases-loaded walk, but again the Loons tied the game later in the inning with a solo home run from Michael Pericht.
Wisconsin’s big push transpired in the third inning, in which they put up four runs for a lead they would never relinquish.
Christenson allowed three hits to lead-off the inning and after walking the fourth batter, the Loons lefty was relieved by John Housey.
Housey balked in a run and then allowed an RBI-single to the league’s batting leader T.J. Mittelstaedt, which made two more runs charged to Christenson, who finished with the loss, his seventh, surrendering seven runs on seven hits over two innings of work.
Housey settled in to provide five innings of relief in which he allowed one run, a home run, and limited the Rattlers to two hits through five innings.
The righty recorded the most strikeouts in the game with four.
Andrew Pevsner finished up for the Loons by pitching two hitless innings.“I thought the guys battled really well today,” Pevsner said after the game. “Win or lose we’ve been doing a good job scrapping away and fighting hard for nine innings. And when you do that, you’re going to win more often than you lose.”
Even with the loss, the team has won 16 of their last 22, which included a sweep over the Beloit Snappers to begin the nine-game homestand.
Leading the team offensively was Bobby Coyle, who went three-for-five with one run and one RBI.
Casio Grider also provided two hits in the game, batting second.
Third baseman Jesse Bosnik hit his second home run of the year in the fourth inning.
Blake Dean’s hit streak ended at nine games tonight, after going 0-for-4.
In the nine-game stretch, he went 15-for-38 for an average of .394.
The Loons will look to level the three-game series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Making his Loons debut will be LHP Rick Anton (0-0, 1.59 at Ogden) against the Rattlers RHP Brooks Hall (5-2, 3.82).
