JACKSON PETSCHE’S RBI SINGLE GIVES WOODCHUCKS FIFTH WALK-OFF VICTORY OF 2026

WAUSAU, WI- It was deja vu at Athletic Park on Thursday night, as the Wausau Woodchucks won in walk off fashion for the second time in a 24 hour span, winning 7-6 over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.

Jackson Petsche (Southeastern CC/LSU-New Orleans) became the fifth walk-off hero of the summer for the Woodchucks, with his two-out RBI single into center field in the ninth that scored Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois/Northern Illinois). Petsche finished the night 3-5, and scored two runs in the win.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Joey Mclaughlin (Arkansas State) had a standout night, going 2-3 and hitting his first home run of the summer, with two total extra base hits, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Caleb Karll (Montevallo) went 1-3 and delivered a big two-RBI base hit late in the game. On the mound, Gavin Kindell (Florida Southwestern State CC/South Alabama) delivered an excellent start, tossing seven strong innings and striking out eight, while surrendering no walks in the process.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Wausau took the lead in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single from Ryan Chase (Santa Fe CC/Kansas) that scored Jackson Petsche. However, Wisconsin Rapids bit back with one run in the second inning, and three in the third to take an early 4-1 lead.

Wausau then built a comeback, slowly and steadily, in the next five innings. Wausau scored a run in the third thanks to an RBI groundout from Keagen Jirschele (South Dakota State), made it 4-3 in the fourth on a solo home run by Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas), and tied the game in the fifth on another solo home run, this time by Joey McLaughlin. The game stayed tied until the eighth inning, but Wausau loaded the bases in that frame, and took a 6-4 lead on a two-RBI single from Caleb Karll.

Wausau was three outs away from the win, but Wisconsin Rapids hit back-to-back home runs in  the top of the ninth inning to shock the Athletic Park crowd and tie the game. But in the bottom half of the ninth, Sawyer Tolk (Kansas City Kansas CC/Dayton) led off the inning with a key single into center field. Mazzacano pinch ran for him, and after he was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Joey McLaughlin, Petsche did the rest, with his walk-off single sending the Woodchucks fans home happy.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• The Woodchucks have won 54 games at Athletic Park over the past two seasons. 11 of those wins have now come in walk-off fashion.
• Wausau is now just one walk-off win from their incredible total of six wins in that fashion back in the 2025 season.
• Jackson Petsche extended a streak of securing an RBI in each of his last seven games with the walk-off single. He also picked up back-to-back three-hit games for the second time this summer.
• Gavin Kindell has now walked just three out of the 71 batters he’s faced in the Northwoods League this summer.
• Max Soliz Jr. extended his franchise record for career home runs to 29 in the win, and now 44 career home runs in his career.
• Peyton Firgens once again extended his on-base streak to 24 games in the win.

WHAT’S NEXT

Wausau improves to 39-19 on the summer, and is now back to 20 games above .500. The Woodchucks are now 17-10 in the second half, and made up ground for the first time this week in the Great Lakes West playoff race. Following the Chinooks’ loss tonight at home to Royal Oak, the Woodchucks are now just two games behind the division leaders, with the tiebreaker and two games to play against Lakeshore this weekend. All that means Wausau has reclaimed control of its own destiny in the playoff race with just nine regular season games to go.

The Woodchucks moved to 6-5 this season against Wisconsin Rapids, and look to secure the season series against the Rafters tomorrow on the road, with first pitch slated at 6:35 from Witter Field.

Wausau returns back home on Saturday to start the biggest two-game set of the season, hosting the Lakeshore Chinooks in a matchup that could determine Wausau’s postseason fate. First pitch from Athletic Park is set for 5:05 p.m. In addition to the exciting stakes, there is also a Crystal Finishing Systems Lunch Bag Giveaway, where the first 500 fans will receive a Woodchucks Lunch Cooler Bag, courtesy of Crystal Finishing Systems. Fans can buy now to guarantee a lunch cooler bag for $15! It’s also another Festival Foods Family Ticket Night, with $12 tickets available that include a brat and a tap soda. It’s fun for the whole family! Fans can purchase tickets to the final five Woodchucks home games in the regular season exclusively online at woodchucks.com.