By Nick Winstead

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.—It was a pitcher’s duel to the end at Witter Field, home of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Both the Bombers and the Rafters struggled to string together offense which led to the game going into extra innings. In the end, however, the Rafters would emerge victorious, for just the fifth time this season, in the bottom of the 10^th by a score of 2-1.

Jacob Waguespack (Ole Miss) made his fifth start of the season for the Bombers and second against the Rafters. Waguespack was aggressive on the mound from the get go.

“I tried to attack the hitters, that was my philosophy the whole game” explained Waguespack following the game. “Me and Henri were teaming up in the dugout and we decided to attack them with the fastball.”

The strategy employed by the Ole Miss battery of Waguespack and Henri Lartigue (Ole Miss) was very effective against the Rafters, a team that had put up double digit run totals in two of their last three games.

“Wags just dealt” noted Dan Trivett, field manager of the Bombers. “He had some no hit stuff out there."

The Rafters were held to four hits through five innings with Waguespack on the mound. The fifth hit for the Rafters would be of the RBI variety. A leadoff walk in the 6^th would be brought home for the first run of the game.

The Bombers were in equal trouble at the plate, not getting a hit in the game until the top of the seventh. A Matt Dacey (Richmond) liner through the first base side would break up the no-hitter.

Justin Stawychny (Louisiana-Monroe) reached on a fielder’s choice following Dacey’s hit. Stawychny then scored on an RBI single delivered from Lartigue, tying the game at one.

At one the score would stay, forcing the game into extra innings.

Josh Leone (Louisiana-Monroe) was on the mound for the Bombers, taking over for Waguespack in the eighth, in the bottom of the tenth. A leadoff liner up the middle from Ryan Sluder started things off for the Rafters. Sluder was bunted over to second and then brought in for the winning run on a soft liner to left by Michael Hurwitz.

The Bombers are now 2-2 in extra innings game on the year.

The Bombers will look to split the series and aim to go .500 on the road trip overall tomorrow.

Game Notes:

Jacob Waguespack: 7+ IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 K

The Battle Creek Bombers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). For more information, visit www.battlecreekbombers.com