Zack Domingues slides into home as Border Cat Catcher Christian Correa (Nicholls State) applies the tag. Domingues was out on the play, but would score a couple other times as the Wisconsin Rapids 5 in action at TBaytel Park. (Photo Courtesy of James Mirabelli Photography).
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (23-41, 11-18) put down the gauntlet and picked up a 12-5 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats (21-42, 7-21) in action a TBaytel Park. The loss signified the end of the season's longest homestand of the year.
17 of 18 hitters in the ball game collected hits and the only hitter not to collect a hit managed an RBI.
The Rafters order out hit the Border Cats 16-13 led by Zack Domingues who had a 3-3 night with three walks. He also had pair of RBI's and a pair of runs scored with a double. Everyone in the Rafters lineup short of Pitcher turned Designated Hitter Nick Blackburn (who had a 2-4 night with three runs scored) collected at least an RBI. Keelin Rasch was 3-6 with a run and an RBI. Kirby McGuire, Michael Jurgella and William Elliott all had multi-hit games for Wisconsin Rapids.
Everyone in the Thunder Bay lineup had a hit. Three Cats had multi-hit games led by Christian Correa (Nicholls State) who was 3-5 with two RBI's. One spot ahead of Correa was Robb Paller (Columbia University) and he went 2-5 with two runs scored and two runs scored. Tyler Patterson (St. Cloud State) also ran up a 2-4 night and has hit safely in seven of his last nine.
The massive run production was enough for Rafters Starting Pitcher Jake Cage. He would earn the win (3-1) throwin eight innings, allowing 13 hits and all five runs with three strikeouts. He found himself running into trouble in only a couple innings as most hits and all runs scored off of him were with two outs.
Border Cats Starter Gunnar Kay (Dallas Baptist) was tagged with the loss (2-3). He was asked to go as far as he could and ran into tough calls and a hot hitting lineup that would equate to the Freshman Kay being in trouble for the 3 2/3 innings he pitched. Reliever Nathan Aultman (Northwestern State) steadied the Border Cats pitching staff and gave a chance to the home squad to mount a come back. Aultman would go five innings allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts, but the Cats could not do enough to throw a wrench at Cage.
The Border Cats will head out on a week long road trip that begins with a double header in Rochester, Minnesota. They will play a pair of seven inning ballgames against the Honkers at Mayo Field with first pitch slated for 6:05 EDT/5:05 CST.
