By Nicholas Giannone | June 5th, 2026
BATTLE CREEK, MI — After a lengthy weather delay pushed first pitch to 9:00 p.m., the Battle Jacks fell to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 5-4 on Friday night at MCCU Field, with the visitors scoring the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.
This game was eventful from the beginning, as both teams combined for five runs in the first. The Rafters scored three in the top half of the inning, highlighted by RBI’s from Mikey Boyd and Harrison Engskov.
The bottom half of the inning saw the Battle Jacks strike back for two runs of their own. Dayne Wimberly got the offence going, scoring Payton Bookwalter off of a putout and AJ Lucas with a sacrifice fly.
The offence kept rolling for the Rafters in the second as they added another run off Erick Soto-Zelaya’s putout.
The Battle Jacks erased the deficit in the fourth inning as Jake Stedman delivered a two-run single, tying the game at 4-4.
The Rafters regained the lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Jax LeGrand. However, the Battle Jacks prevented further damage thanks to a strong defensive play from AJ Lucas, who fired a strike to the plate to throw out Mikey Boyd and keep the deficit at one.
The Battle Jacks tied the game in the seventh off a Brendan Thompson RBI putout as Payton Bookwalter crossed home plate.
Battle Creek’s strong defensive play from Sonnier Moses ended the eighth inning with a double play.
The Rafters took the lead in the ninth following a sacrifice fly from Nico Defazio.
The Battle Jacks closed the night out with four hits and one error, as they scored five runs.
The Battle Jacks are back in action on Saturday with a matchup against the Kalamazoo Growlers with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm at Homer Stryker Field.
About the Battle Jacks & the Northwoods League
The Battle Creek Battle Jacks are a proud member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its 33rd season, the 26-team Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history, drawing significantly more fans in a more friendly ballpark experience than any league of its kind.
A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 410 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson; three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR); two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford; World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL); 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL); and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM).
