The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters swept a big doubleheader against the Kenosha Kingfish today as they made up a game from earlier this season. Battle Creek also lost as Rapids now holds an eight-game lead in the South. Mankato fell to Duluth from four walks in the ninth, but the MoonDogs still hold a half game lead over the Rox who also lost and a game lead over the Bucks who bounced back tonight. 

Wisconsin Rapids 3, Kenosha 0 (Game 1)

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters scored three runs in the ninth to break a scoreless game and defeat the Kenosha Kingfish 3-0. The Kenosha Kingfish used three pitchers to keep Rapids scoreless in the first eighth as Davis Schwab (Johnson CC) pitched four in relief after George Faue (Northern Illinois) only went one. Austin Paisar (Eastern New Mexico) threw the next two scoreless to keep Kenosha in the game going into the ninth. Jesse Slinger (Lock Haven) got the start for Rapids and pitched eight scoreless to keep him in line for the win. Ryan Stekl (Canisius) finally put Rapids on the board with an RBI single in the top of the ninth with only one out. Dustin Woodcock (SIUE) then followed him with a two-run single. Cameron Busby (Belmont Abbey) then pitched a scoreless ninth as he picked up his second save of the season.

Willmar 5, La Crosse 2

The Willmar Stingers tacked on insurance runs in the final two innings as they defeated the La Crosse Loggers 5-2. Willmar broke a scoreless game in the fifth when Luke Becker (Kentucky) hit a bases-clearing double. Starter Gus Varland (Concordia-St. Paul) threw the first six scoreless for Willmar as he only allowed five hits while striking three to put him in line for the win. La Crossed got on the board in the seventh when Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) hit a two-run shot. Willmar then tacked on a run in the eighth from a sac fly and another in the ninth from an RBI single. Alex Reyes (New Mexico State) put two on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but got the final batter to ground out as he picked up his fourth save.

Eau Claire 9, Bismarck 2

The Eau Claire Express used four insurance runs to pull ahead and defeat the Bismarck Larks 9-2. The Larks got on the board first in the second when Cooper Coldiron (Houston) singled in a run. Eau Claire then took the lead in the third with three runs which started from Zach Ashford (Fresno State) hitting an RBI single and having him later score the third run on a ground out. Zach Gilles (Central Michigan) then contributed for the Express in the fifth from an RBI single and a run scored. Bismarck scored one more time in the eighth, but the Express extended their lead with four in the ninth which would go on to be the final score.

Wisconsin Rapids 12, Kenosha 0 (Game 2)

The Wisconsin Rapids poured it on the Kenosha Kingfish all game as they won 12-0. Ryan Stekl (Canisius) put Rapids on the board first in the opening inning when he drove in a run from a sac flyout. Stekl then led off the third with a single and later scored one of the two runs in the inning from a Jacson McGowan (Purdue) RBI single. Rapids got another in the fourth from a wild pitch and another in the fifth on an RBI single. McGowan then drove in three more from a double in the sixth and then four more in the eighth which consisted of two errors. The Kingfish was held to only two hits which both came from Mike Madej (Purdue), but Jack Eagan (Madison College) and two relievers kept Kenosha off the board.

Battle Creek 4, Fond du Lac 5

The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders took the lead in the fourth and never looked back as they defeated the Battle Creek Bombers 5-4. The Bombers got on the board first in the third when JD Mundy (Virginia Tech) knocked in two with a double and Tom Stoffel (Virginia Tech) hit an RBI single. Fondy came within one in the bottom half when AJ Lewis (Missouri) and K.V. Edwards each scored on a sac flyouts. The Spiders then took the lead in the fourth with three runs which started from Edwards knocking in two with a double. The Bombers would get one more in the fifth from an RBI single by Nikola Vasic (McHenry CC), but Connor Johnson (Catawba) threw the final 4.1 scoreless out of the bullpen for the Dock Spiders.

Madison 8, Wisconsin 7 (12 Innings)

The Madison Mallards needed 12 innings tonight to defeat the Wisconsin Woodchuck 8-7. Madison got their first two in the fourth from a single by Sam Armstrong (Jacksonville). The Chucks got one back in the bottom half when Trey Dawson (Chipola) hit an RBI single. The Mallards then added four in the fifth in an inning which had two errors and the first run came from a single by Zac Taylor (Illinois). The Chucks added three in the bottom half as Stevie Mangrum (Virginia Tech) knocked in one from a single. Wisconsin took the lead in the sixth with three more as Mangrum drove in one from a sac fly, a Logan Foster (Texas A&M) RBI single and a wild pitch. With one out in the top of the ninth, Jeffrey Mitchell (California) tied the game from a sac fly. Then three innings later, Cade Bunnell (Madison College) doubled in the eventual game-winner for the Mallards.

Mankato 3, Duluth 4

The Duluth Huskies walked it off in the bottom of the ninth as they went on to defeat the Mankato MoonDogs 4-3. The Huskies got on the board first in the second inning when Alec Abercrombie (NDSU) singled in a run. The MoonDogs took the lead in the sixth with two on back-to-back bases loaded walks which scored Jake Shepski (Notre Dame) and Kyle Cuellar (UCLA). Both teams traded runs in the seventh as Cuellar hit an RBI triple and Abercrombie scored on a sac flyout. Then with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Rudy Karre (Kansas) tied the game from a bases loaded walk and Jack Stronach (UCLA) scored the winning run from the fourth walk of the inning.

Thunder Bay 4, Waterloo 9

The Waterloo Bucks got out to an early lead and never looked back as they defeated the Thunder Bay Border Cats 9-4. The Bucks started the game with a run in the opening inning from an RBI single by Brandon Gutzler (Murray State). Waterloo added a pair more in the second from a sac fly and an RBI double. The Bucks then got four in the third which started from Jay Schuyler (San Diego) coming home on an error. Grant Hawkins (Arkansas State) then hit an RBI single and scored on another RBI single as the fourth came from another single. The Bucks built an eight-run lead in the fourth from a sac flyout. The Border Cats got on the board in the fifth when Branden Mosley (Southeast Missouri) came home on an RBI ground out. Thunder Bay added another in the seventh form an RBI single and two more in the eighth, but the Bucks retired the side in the ninth to end the game.

Rockford 3, Lakeshore 2

The Rockford Rivets used a two-run fifth inning to defeat the Lakeshore Chinooks tonight 3-2. Both teams traded runs in the opening inning as the Rivets got one from an RBI single by Neal Tyrell (Lewis) and Matthew Mika (Central Florida) scored on a sac fly for the Chinooks. Lakeshore pulled ahead in the second when Mika drove in Daniel DeSimone (Oklahoma State) on a sac fly. Rockford then retook the lead for good in the fifth when Hunter Feduccia (LSU) drove in two from a double. Reliever Marshall Oetting (Concordia-Ann Arbor) threw 2.2 scoreless for Lakeshore, but the Rivets used two out of the bullpen to secure the win as Zach Thomas (Chicago State) picked up his third save.

St. Cloud 4, Rochester 5

The Rochester Honkers prevented a late rally from the St. Cloud Rox as they held on to win 5-4. The Rox got on the board right away in the opening inning with three from long balls by Shane Selman (McNeese State) and Keaton Kringlen (BYU). The Honkers got two in the bottom half from an RBI single by Ryan Fitzpatrick (UC Irvine) and unearned run from an error by the shortstop. The game went scoreless until the sixth when Konnor Zickefoose (UC Irvine) tied it from a dinger. Fitzpatrick then went deep in the eighth and Jordan Hart (Minnesota State) added one more from an RBI single. With no outs in the top of the ninth, Matthew Tarantino (Pacific) kept the Rox in the game with a run from a wild pitch, but the next two out of three went down to end the game.

Green Bay 3, Kalamazoo 4

The Kalamazoo Growlers scored three in the eighth for the go ahead run and defeated the Green Bay Bullfrogs 4-3. The Frogs scored first in the opening inning when Troy Johnston (Gonzaga) came across on an RBI fielder’s choice. Johnston was involved again as he double in a run in the second. Kalamazoo got on the board in the fifth when Michael Diffley (San Diego State) hit an RBI double. Green Bay went up two in the seventh from a Kyle Benyo (Youngstown State) long ball. The Growlers then responded to take the lead in the eighth with three which started from Jack Duffy (Missouri State) singling in a run as he scored the eventual game-winner from a sac flyout.

 

Schedule for July 23:

Wisconsin @ Madison (1:05 PM)

Battle Creek @ Fond du Lac (1:05 PM)

Thunder Bay @ Waterloo (2:05 PM)

Eau Claire @ Bismarck (3:05 PM)

Mankato @ Duluth (3:05 PM)

Green Bay @ Kalamazoo (3:05 PM)

Lakeshore @ Rockford (4:05 PM)

Rochester @ St. Cloud (4:05 PM)

Wisconsin Rapids @ Kenosha (4:05 PM)

Willmar @ La Crosse (5:05 PM)