The Bombers kept their playoff hopes alive Tuesday night in Wausau, taking apart the Wisconsin Woodchucks 7-3 to tie the series.

Battle Creek continued the recent trend of scoring early. Jordan Dean led off the game by doubling to right field, reached third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Troy White. They extended the lead in the third when Ryne Otis also flew-out, bringing home Jimmy Martinez. The Woodchucks mounted multiple comeback attempts throughout the night, but the Bombers really put them away in the fourth with a three-run inning, highlighted with a Danny Rockett solo homerun. Five members of the starting lineup for Battle Creek tallied RBIs on the night.

Matt Dearden has been one of the team’s most consistent starters of late, and he continued to be so tonight, tossing five and two-thirds innings and giving up just three runs, while Alex Tukey went the rest of the way, further increasing the reliever’s chances of being selected for the All-Star Team.

The Eau Claire Express also beat the Madison Mallards, bringing the first-half championship down to a crucial final day: in order to secure the playoff berth, the Bombers must beat the Woodchucks on Wednesday, and the Express must beat the Mallards. If Eau Claire and Battle Creek both win, the Bombers would secure bid based on a 3-2 season series record over the Express. If the Green Bay wins, however, the Frogs would go to the playoffs; they have defeated the Bombers 3-2 in that season series.