Rattlers outlast LumberKings 4-3

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - It was a test of nerves and patience at Time Warner Cable Field on Wednesday afternoon. In the end it was the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Clinton LumberKings 4-3 in a game that featured 15 walks, 22 stranded runners, four errors, three wild pitches, and lasted three hours and thirty-seven minutes. Brock Kjeldgaard broke a 3-3 tie with a triple in the bottom of the seventh inning and Wily Peralta closed out the LumberKings in style.

Wisconsin (38-38 overall, 4-2 second half) took a first inning lead with three straight two-out doubles. Brett Lawrie started the rally with a double to left. Corey Kemp drove in Lawrie with a double down the third base line. John Delaney made the score 2-0 by doubling to the gap in right-center.

But, the LumberKings (43-33, 3-3) chipped away with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take the lead. Kris Sanchez lined a homer to right with two outs in the third inning.

In the fourth, Clinton had a runner at second and two outs against Wisconsin starting pitcher Evan Frederickson. Ogui Diaz sent a slow grounder wide of first and the ball was fielded by Kemp at first. Diaz beat Frederickson to the bag and the runner from second scored without a play as no one was covering home.

Clinton took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth as Sanchez tripled in the go ahead run against reliever Daniel Meadows.

The Rattlers fought back to tie the game with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. Derrick McPhearson drew a two-out walk and stole second base. Juan Sanchez hit a grounder to third that was booted for an error to put runners at the corners. Pete Fatse drove in the tying run with a seeing-eye single to right.

Brock Kjeldgaard gave the Rattlers a lead in the bottom of the seventh. Delaney drew a walk -- the sixth of the game by Clinton pitchers -- with one out. Kjeldgaard lined a triple off the wall in right and Delaney scored easily for the 4-3 lead.

Wisconsin would load the bases later in their half of the seventh, but could not push across an insurance run.

Peralta, who had entered the game in the top of the seventh inning, walked a pair of runners in the top of the eighth inning. An error put runners at second and third with one out and Wisconsin hanging on to that one run lead. Peralta struck out pinch hitter Jake Shaffer for the second out and got Diaz to ground out weakly to second to keep the Rattlers in front.

In the ninth, Peralta retired the side in order, including a pair of strikeouts to finish off Clinton. The Wisconsin hurler struck out six over three innings of relief to get his third win of the season. Peralta now has 83 K's on the season and is the new Midwest League leader in that category