Beloit Sky Carp shutout in loss to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE — The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Luke Adams brought the fireworks to Thursday night’s Fourth of July showdown against the Beloit Sky Carp.

Adams launched a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning as the Timber Rattlers put on an offensive show for the 4,936 fans packed into Neuroscience Group Field and downed the Sky Carp 9-0.

Felix Valerio walked to begin the big third frame before Beloit starter Karson Milbrandt struck out Eduarqui Fernandez. But Luis Lara and Jadher Areinamo each singled before Adams’ sent his four-run blast into left field.

It gave Wisconsin a 5-0 lead after Areinamo had smashed a homer for the second-straight night, a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the first.

Wisconsin upped its advantage to 3-1 in the six-game series, which began Monday in Beloit and moved to Grand Chute on Thursday to finish up the final three games.

Milbrandt’s outing only got worse in the fourth. He loaded the bases to start off by walking Jesus Chirinos and Valerio and hitting Tayden Hall. Fernandez brought the first run home on a sacrifice fly to right, and Lara’s two-run single into right upped it to 8-0 and ended the starter’s night.

Milbrandt allowed eight runs, all earned, on five hits and three walks while striking out two.

Caleb Wurster came out of the bullpen and induced a double play to stop the bleeding.

But Wisconsin made it 9-0 in the fifth off Wurster, who allowed a leadoff walk to Adams and a single to Matthew Wood. He struck out Eduardo Garcia and Chirinos, but he balked to allow the runner to come home.

Ignacio Feliz struck out three in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Beloit and Edgar Sanchez struck out one in a perfect ninth.

But the Sky Carp couldn’t find the big hit it needed to mount a comeback. Despite outhitting Wisconsin 7-6, Beloit left eight on base.

One of their best chances came in the fifth when Sam Praytor’s two-out walk was followed by singles from Osiris Johnson and Mark Coley. But starter Brian Fitzpatrick coaxed Johnny Olmstead into a fly out to end his fine day.

Fitzpatrick struck out seven and allowed just three hits in five scoreless innings.

Josh Zamora and Tony Bullard both singled to welcome reliever Bayden Root to the game in the sixth, but a strikeout and double play ended the threat.

Root threw a scoreless seventh and Tyler Wehrle threw allowed just one hit in two innings to complete the shutout.

Lara and Areinamo each had two hits to lead Wisconsin while Beloit had seven different batters record its seven hits.

Result Wednesday: Timber Rattlers 2, Sky Carp 0 — Areinamo’s solo homer in the top of the third was all that the Timber Rattlers needed as they edged the Sky Carp 2-0 in front of a packed crowd of 3,150 at ABC Supply Stadium.

Areinamo’s blast came with two outs off of Beloit starter Noble Meyer, who went 4 1-3 innings while allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six.

Valerio reached on a single to start the fifth and swiped both second and third before scoring on Garcia’s groundout to second.

K.C. Hunt was strong in his start for Wisconsin as he allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 in 5 1-3 frames. Stiven Cruz and Aaron Rund allowed just one hit apiece over the final 3 2-3 innings.

Tony Bullard had two singles for the Sky Carp while Chase Luttrell added a hit as the two teams had three hits each.

Kyle Crigger didn’t allow a hit in 1 2-3 innings out of the bullpen for Beloit while Evan Taylor and Josh Ekness tossed three scoreless frames.

WISCONSIN 9, BELOIT 0

Beloit 000 000 000 — 0 7 1

Wisconsin 104 310 00 — 9 6 1

Beloit (ab-r-h-rbi) — Coley, rf, 4-0-1-0, Olmstead, ss, 4-0-0-0, Zamora, 2b, 3-0-1-0, Bullard, 3b, 4–0-1-0, Caballero, dh, 4-0-1-0, Vradenburg, 1b, 4-0-1-0, DeLeo, lf, 4-0-1-0, Praytor, c, 3-0-0-0, Johnson, cf, 3-0-1-0. Totals: 33-0-7-0.

Wisconsin (ab-r-h-rbi) — Lara, cf, 4-1-2-2, Areinamo, ss, 4-2-2-1, Adams, 3b, 3-2-1-4, Wood, c, 4-0-1-0, Garcia, 2b, 4-0-0-0, Chirinos, dh, 3-1-0-0, Hall, 1b, 3-1-0-0, Valerio, lf, 1-2-0-0, Fernandez, rf, 2-0-0-1. Totals: 28-9-6-8.

E: Adams. DP: Beloit 1, Wisconsin 2. LOB: Beloit 8, Wisconsin 2. SB: Valerio (4). HR: Areinamo (7), Adams (8). SF: Fernandez.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) — B: Milbrandt L, 1-4, 3 1/3-5-8-8-3-2, Wurster 1 2/3-1-1-1-1-2, Feliz 2-0-0-0-1-3, Sanchez 1-0-0-0-0-1. W: Fitzpatrick W, 3-1, 5-3-0-0-1-7, Root 2-3-0-0-0-2, Wehrle 2-1-0-0-1-1.

HBP: Hall (by Milbrandt). T: 2:19. Att: 4.936

WP: Manfredi, Sanchez, Jimenez. HBP: Bullard (by Aquino). T: 2:47. Att: 1,425.