Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc. – Three long balls helped do the trick for the Bombers Thursday night, as Battle Creek stomped the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 11-4 on Thursday night. The Bombers handed Wisconsin Rapids their fifth loss at Witter Field on the season.

The Rapids Rafters scored first off an RBI single. Christian Griffin (West Alabama) started his fifth game tonight, and threw the best four innings of his summer. This was the only run he allowed along with four hits, he struck out five and only walked one batter. Winston Welch (Arkansas State) would tie the game at one with a solo home run to left center, it was his first of the summer.

Both teams were tied going into the bottom of the fifth. A rain delay would occur, setting the game back an hour. Mark Quinby (UC San Diego) relieved Griffin, and got out number three immediately following the rain delay. Turns out, the rain delay was good for the Bombers. Battle Creek got a walk from Alex Howard (Arkansas State) and a single from Nick Walker (Austin Peay) to put two on with no outs. Justin Felix (Arkansas State) pounded a three-run home run to left field to give the Bombers their first lead, 4-1. Cale Hennemann (University of Memphis) hit a two out single, and Cody Hawken (University of Portland) hit Hennemann in with an RBI single, extending Battle Creek’s lead 5-1.

Quinby, in the bottom of the sixth, allowed two runs off only one hit. The two runs cut the deficit for the Rafters at 6-3. Wisconsin Rapids is the first team to score runs off Quinby this summer.

Though Battle Creek responded with a run of their own. Tom Stoffel (Virginia Tech) blasted a pitch to right field for the Bombers’ third home run of the night. The Tom Bomb made it 7-3 Battle Creek.

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Dakota Edwards (Cal State Stanislaus) relieved Quinby, and Edwards retired the first two batters. After walking one with two outs, Edwards let up a double for a Rafters run, Battle Creek’s lead was trimmed to 7-4. Then in the ninth, Battle Creek got plenty of gifts, in which they took advantage of. The Rafters, with two pitchers, walked five total Bombers which totaled two runs. Then Welch, with bases loaded, stayed hot with a right field line line drive with two outs to clear the bases and make it 11-4.

Alex Smith (University of Memphis) slammed the door shut on the Rafters to conclude the game.

 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

He is 17, going on 18…

• Walker extended his hit streak to 18 games

#HowieWowie

• Howard now has a hit in 28 of his 32 games played, including the last six games in a row

Stoney Welch!

• Welch recorded his first 4-RBI game this summer, incldunig his first home run. The Tucson, Arizona native had two hits in one game for the first time since June 5.

Rackin’ in Runs

• Felix has recorded 10 RBI in his eight games played in July. The Rio Rico, Arizona native hit his third home run of the summer and garnered his fifth multi-hit game.

Seek Shelter!

• Stoffel blasted his fifth #TomBomb of the summer, including his second home run in July.

 

Battle Creek finished their four-game road trip 2-2, splitting with Both the Wisconsin Woodchucks and Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. The Bombers return to C.O. Brown Stadium for a four-game home stand against Fon du Lac and Wisconsin before the All-Star break. Neil Doyle will have the call on Northwoods League TV and the Bombers Radio Network at 7:05.

 

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The Battle Creek Bombers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.battlecreekbombers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bombers as your favorite team.