The Northwoods League opening day featured 12 games with thrilling extra-inning games and a walk-off victory for the Mankato Moondogs. The Wausau Woodchucks upsets the 2023 NWL Champions, Green Bay Rockers, 7-5 in their season home opener.

Wisconsin Rapids 8, Fond du Lac 7

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters came out swinging today tallying 8 hits in their 8-7 victory over the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. Matt Brandt (Howard College) went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Jack Mathey (Ohio Dominican University) went 1-for-2 with one RBI, drawing three walks and two runs scored. Fond du Lac came back and tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, a single from Quinten Perilli (Elizabethtown College) scored two of the five runs that inning. Perilli also tripled earlier in the game and went 2-for-3 today with two RBI, two walks, and scored once. Pierce Boles (LSU Eunice University) earned the win, throwing 1.2 innings with 4 strikeouts, and 3 walks, allowing no hits and no runs.

Wausau 7, Green Bay 5

The Wausau Woodchucks take down the Green Bay Rockers 7-5 in their season home opener. Drew Berkland (University of Minnesota) went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, three RBI, and scored twice. Elijah Alexander (Connors State College) went 2-for-5 with a double and one run scored. The Rockers came out hot in the first inning putting up four runs, three of those runs scored by Carsen Hansen’s (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) homerun to left field. Edwin Alicea (Nova Southeastern University) earned the win throwing one inning, with three strikeouts, allowing one hit and no runs.

Willmar 5, Waterloo 2

The Willmar Stingers racked up 11 hits to defeat the Waterloo Bucks 5-2. The very first at-bat of the game, Colton Griffin (Stephen F. Austin State University) homered to right field putting the Stingers on the board first. Griffin went 1-for-3 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored. Aiden Byrne (Minnesota State University Mankato) went 1-for-5 with a two-run double. James Whitman( Biola University) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Sebastian Granados (Grossmont College) earned the win throwing four innings, facing fourteen batters, allowing three hits, striking out three, and no walks.

Eau Claire 5, Madison 3

The Eau Claire Express pulled through with a 5-4 win over the Madison Mallards. Dylan O’Connell (Western Kentucky) went 1-for-3 with a single that plated the last two runs for the Express in the eighth innings. Brady Blake (University of Kansas) went 1-for-3 with a double, one RBI, one walk, and one hit by pitch. Brigs Richartz (University of St. Thomas) and Gabe Richardson (University of Minnesota-Duluth) both recorded an RBI in today’s tight match-up. Blake Guerin (University of Iowa) went 2-for-4 with one RBI, one run scored and tripled in the ninth for the Madison Mallards’ last-inning rally. Luke Wiltrakis(University of Georgia) earned the win throwing four innings with three strikeouts, one walk, and allowing three hits and two runs.

Kalamazoo 8, Rockford 3

The Kalamazoo Growlers received a big game from their starting pitcher Jerad Berkenpas (Davenport University) in an 8-3 victory over Rockford Rivets. Kevin Krill (Kalamazoo Valley Community College) went 1-for-4 at the plate today with a sac fly that scored a run in the third and a single that scored two runs in the sixth. Brodey Acres (Walsh University) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. Evan Rodriguez (Tallahassee Community College) went 1-for-3 with a double an RBI and one run scored. Matt Flaherty (Bellarmine) put the first runs on the board for the Rivets with a seventh-inning two-run home run to left field. Jerad Berkenpas earned the win throwing seven innings with twelve strikeouts, walking zero batters, and allowing five hits and two runs.

Kenosha 13, Royal Oak 3

The Kenosha Kingfish ran up the score today defeating the Royal Oak Leprechauns 13-3. Eight out of nine hitters in the Kingfish lineup recorded a hit against the Leprechauns and five out of that eight had a multi-hit game. Brandon Nigh (Oakland University) went 2-for-6 with a single in the sixth and the ninth to score three RBI. Jack Fitzharris (Olive-Harvey College) went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Galvin Taylor (Brigham Young University) went 2-for-6 tallying a double and two RBI. Tanner Johnson (Triton College) earned the win throwing five innings with five strikeouts, four walks, and allowed two hits and no runs.

Battle Creek 7, Traverse City 2

The Battle Creek Battle Jacks take down the Traverse City Pitt Spitters in a 7-2 match-up. Mason Hamlin (University of Texas of the Permian Basin) was perfect at the plate today reaching base every at bat going 2-for-2 drawing two and a hit by pitch, recording one RBI and one run scored. Elijah Henning (Central Michigan University) went 1-for-5 with a two-run single in the second ending the day with three RBI. Daniel Pruitt (Eastern New Mexico University) went 1-for-5 with a two-run double in the seventh. Kameron Haviland (Benedictine University at Mesa) earned the win throwing five innings with four strikeouts, and three walks, and allowed three hits and zero earned runs after facing twenty-three batters.

Thunder Bay 6, Rochester 1

The Thunder Bay Border Cats came out hot with a three-run first inning to set the tone for their 6-1 victory over the Rochester Honkers. Greg LaChance (University of Illinois) had a day at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double in the first inning, tallying one walk, one RBI, and one run scored. Jackson Cooke (University of Tennessee at Martin) went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in the third and recorded another RBI in the fifth reaching base on an error. This match was dominated by the pitchers allowing only two hits and one run throughout all nine innings, and earning twelve strikeouts. Tyrus Riley (Fort Hays State University (KS)) earned the win throwing three innings striking out five batters, walking three, allowed zero hits and zero runs.

Mankato 9, La Crosse 8

The Mankato MoonDogs walk it off 9-8 in the thrilling 10-inning matchup against the La Crosse Loggers. Matthew Fleischhacker (Minnesota State University Mankato) was an RBI machine at the plate tallying six RBI going 3-for-4 with a two-run double in the second, a two-run single in the third, and called game with a two-run single in the tenth. Carter Thomas (Wayne State College) went 2-for-5 batting in the other three runs in the game with a two-run single in the second and a triple in the eighth. Tate Marland (Cedarville University) had a good outing on the mound pitching 4.1 innings with five strikeouts, two walked batters, two hits, and zero earned runs. Owen Byberg (Frontier Community College) came in relief and earned the win throwing .2 of an inning allowing no hits and no runs.

Lakeshore 4, Kokomo 3

The Lakeshore Chinooks came out on top with a 4-3 victory over the Kokomo Jackrabbits in a 12-inning matchup. Sam Hunt (University of Minnesota) went 1-for-4 at the plate scoring the go-ahead run with a single to right field in the twelfth. Seven pitchers saw the mound today for the Chinooks and collectively tallied a total of sixteen strikeouts, seven hits, and three walks. Starting pitcher, Cohen Achen (Lindsey Wilson College) pitched four innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, two hits, and zero runs. Arthur Liebau (Lindenwood) earned the win throwing two innings with four strikeouts, one walk, allowing one hit, and zero earned runs.

Bismarck 6, St. Cloud 3

The Bismarck Larks got on the board early scoring three runs in the first innings to start their momentum in their 6-3 victory over the St. Cloud Rox. Issac Huetti (North Iowa Area Community College) had a good day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a two-run double in the eighth recording a total of three RBI, two walks, and a run scored. Kade Lewis (Butler University) went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Kai Taylor (Augustana University) earned the win throwing 1.1 innings with two strikeouts, three hits, one run, and no walks.

Badlands 10, Duluth 5

The Badlands Big Sticks had a productive 6-run fourth inning to help them in their 10-5 victory over the Duluth Huskies. Troy Berg (Iowa Central Community College) had a good day at the plate today going 2-for-5 with a two-run double in the fourth tallying three RBI and scoring once. Ty Nekoliczak (Concordia University) recorded three RBI going 2-for-5 and scoring twice. Mj Sweeney (Grossmont College) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a two-run homer in the seventh and an RBI double in the eighth giving the Huskies some fight late in the game. Tyler Conklin (Eastern Illinois University)earned the win throwing five innings and recording five strikeouts giving up two hits and no walks or earned runs.

Tuesday’s Schedule

Kenosha @ Royal Oak (11:05 AM ET)

Traverse City @ Battle Creek (11:05 AM ET)

Rockford @ Kalamazoo (11:05 AM ET)

Eau Claire @ Madison (5:35 PM CT)

Willmar @ Waterloo (6:35 PM CT)

St. Cloud @ Bismark (6:35 PM CT)

Thunder Bay @ Rochester (6:35 PM CT)

Wausau @ Green Bay (6:35 PM CT)

Fond du Lac @ Wisconsin Rapids (6:35 PM CT)

La Crosse @ Mankato (6:35 PM CT)

Duluth @ Badlands (6:35 PM MT)

Lakeshore @ Kokomo (7:05 PM ET)