Hot Bats Early Lead Rockers to Opening Day Win
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — The Green Bay Rockers opened their season in style tonight, notching a 6-2 victory over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in their first game at historic Witter Field.
Right-hander Alex LePage got the Opening Day nod and looked sharp out of the gate. Mixing his pitches well and consistently getting ahead in counts, LePage worked through early jams and kept the Rafters off balance with a series of deep-at-bats. He went five strong innings, allowing just one earned run and setting the tone for the night.
Green Bay wasted no time getting on the board. After Rogers reached base, Justin Journette drove a hard grounder to third to bring him home for the first run of the summer. The Rockers added another in the second when Diego Urreta ripped a well-struck ball to pad the lead.
But the highlight of the night came in the third. With one on, Journette launched a two-run blast over the left field wall, giving the Rockers an early cushion.
Defensively, the Rockers made sure their lead held. Shortstop Joey Canzoni made a standout catch in the fifth to help LePage escape a jam, and the bullpen was lights out from there.
Caden Crask-Weeks took over in the sixth and was nothing short of dominant. The righty tossed three no-hit innings and did not allow the Rafters to gain any traction as the Rockers extended their lead. In the eighth, Collin Helms smashed a triple deep to center to score Journette and give Green Bay a 6-1 advantage.
Though the Rafters threatened in the ninth and managed to scratch across a run, any hope of a late comeback was erased when Journette fired the ball from left field to cut down a runner at the plate for the final out. Jack Fortner closed the door to secure the Rockers’ first win of the season.
With solid pitching, timely hitting, and key defensive plays, the Rockers showed poise and chemistry in their season debut — setting the tone for tomorrow’s home opener against the Rafters at 6:35pm. Gates open at 5:30pm as Bazooka Joe will be performing before the game.
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The Green Bay Rockers are a 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’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 24 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 380 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 World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.greenbayrockers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rockers as your favorite team.