In a tightly contested Midwest League matchup at ABC Supply Stadium, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers held off the Beloit Sky Carp 4‑3 on Wednesday night. The win was highlighted by the debut of right‑hander Miqueas Mercedes, who tossed 5⅔ scoreless innings to earn the victory in his first game with the club.

Early Scoring Sets the Tone

Luis Castillo gave the Rattlers an early lead with an RBI single in the top of the first inning, followed by Sawyer Strosnider’s RBI grounder in the second to make it 2‑0. Both starters kept the score tight through the early innings, with Beloit’s Brayan Mendoza allowing just three hits over six innings.

Mercedes Shines in Debut

Mercedes entered the game and delivered a masterful performance, allowing only three hits and walking four batters while striking out four. He retired the first two hitters in the sixth before a single and a walk ended his night, but his effort kept the Rattlers’ lead intact.

Key Offensive Highlights

In the eighth inning, Eric Bitonti launched a towering home run to right field, his 25th of the season and a mark that places him among the top single‑season homer leaders in Appleton baseball history. Later, Luiyin Alastre added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4‑0.

Despite a late rally by the Sky Carp that produced a three‑run homer by Chase Jaworsky, cutting the margin to one run, the Rattlers held on. Michael Fowler closed the eighth and ninth innings, securing his fifth save of the season.

Looking Ahead

The Timber Rattlers have now won three straight games. The next contest in the series is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:05 p.m. at ABC Supply Stadium, with Jayden Dubanewicz slated to start for Wisconsin and Nate Payne for Beloit.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.