Rattlers Get Late Rally For 4-3 Win

From the Capital-Journal:

The Rossville Rattlers couldn’t produce much offense against the assembly line of pitchers employed by the Topeka Golden Giants, but they made the most of what they had.

Managing only four hits, the Rattlers manufactured a pair of runs then got a go-ahead, two-run double from Michael Sinks in the top of the eighth inning to pull out a 4-3 victory over the Giants in a Mid-Plains League game Friday at Jerry Robertson Field.

“We got all we could out of four hits,” Rattlers coach Tobi Cowdin said.

Jacob Schwandt, the fifth of six Topeka pitchers, alternated two walks and two strikeouts when he entered the game in the top of the eighth before Sinks drove in two runs with a double to center field for the 4-3 lead.

“Michael Sinks did a great job with a two-out, two-strike hit,” Cowdin said. “That was huge for us.”

The Giants had taken a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Will Brennan and a suicide squeeze bunt by Connor Rule that knocked out Rossville starter Blake Peterson.

Nick Cole relieved Peterson and worked the final 22/3 innings to earn the win.

“Cole did a real good job coming in and throwing strikes to get us out of that inning after they took the lead,” Cowdin said. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”

Peterson — the Washburn Rural product who is transferring from Texas State to Washburn to play baseball and football — allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks in 61/3 innings.

“He’s been working hard all summer at both baseball and football doing double-duty,” Cowdin said. “It was an outstanding performance tonight. He looked as good as he has all summer throwing strikes with multiple pitches in the zone. He’s a very dynamic pitcher.”

The first two runs scored by the Rattlers (13-20) both came home on wild pitches. The first of those in the fifth inning came about when Brandon Wilkerson walked, moved to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on the wild pitch.

“They were bringing a whole slew of pitchers at us and they were all doing a really great job of throwing strikes and keeping us off-balance,” Cowdin said. “We were able to manufacture a couple of runs and get the lead, then we gave it back and we came back and got it. It was a good back-and-forth game.”

The three-game series is tied 1-1 with the rubber game at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, the final regular-season home game for the Giants (13-19).

Rossville 000 011 020 – 4 4 1

Topeka 010 000 200 – 3 7 0

Peterson, Cole (7) and Gragg. Lawrence, Wheeler (3), Middendorf (5), English (6), Schwandt (8), Halter (9) and Rule. W – Cole. L – Schwandt. 2B – Rossville: Eckberg, Sinks. Topeka: Farthing.