WAUSAU FALLS IN REMARKABLE FASHION DESPITE SCORING 17 RUNS

WAUSAU, WI- The Wausau Woodchucks played one of the more incredible games in Northwoods League history Monday night, but came out on the wrong side of the result, as the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters completed a two-game sweep over Wausau with an 18-17 win at Witter Field.

All but one player in the starting lineup earned an RBI, but the big star was Bradon Durfee (Pasco-Hernando State/Kansas). The outfielder finished 4-5 with two home runs, two RBIs, and four total runs scored. Keagen Jirschele (South Dakota State) went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs, along with scoring twice. Sawyer Tolk (Kansas City Kansas CC/Dayton) had a 2-3 day and two RBIs, with one of his hits being a triple.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Wausau took a 3-0 lead off the bat from a three-run home run by Ryan Chase (Santa Fe CC/Kansas). However, the next six runs belonged to the Rafters, with Wisconsin Rapids scoring once in the bottom of the first and five times in the second inning. However, Wausau then scored three runs in the fourth off of a Sawyer Tolk sacrifice fly and a Wisconsin Rapids error, and took the lead in the top of the fifth on Durfee’s first solo home run of the game, 7-6.

The Rafters then answered with six runs, their largest inning of the night, in the sixth inning to go up 12-7. But that was only one of many big offensive frames from both sides to end the ninth. In the top of the seventh, it was Wausau who scored five to tie the game at 12, with RBIs in the inning coming from Tolk (RBI single), McLaughlin (sac bunt), Malone (2-RBI single) and Durfee (solo home run).

Then, the next punch belonged to the Rafters, who scored four runs in the bottom half of the seventh to take a 16-12 lead. Wausau, remarkably, came again in the eighth and took the lead with five runs, two on a Keagen Jirschele home run, one on a Noah Malone sacrifice fly RBI, and two on a go-ahead RBI single by Jackson Petshce (Southeastern CC/LSU-New Orleans). But, in the end, it was the Rafters who had the last laugh of the night, scoring the two finals runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead, and holding the Woodchucks scoreless in the ninth.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• The Woodchucks have lost back-to-back games for the second time in the second half of the summer, and it’s only the second time this summer that Wausau has lost back-to-back nine-inning games.
• The Woodchucks hit four home runs in the defeat, one shy of their season high, which was set on June 27 against Fond du Lac.
• Bradon Durfee became the first Woodchuck to hit multiple home runs in the same game in the second half this summer.
• The game lasted four hours and seven minutes, the longest nine-inning game of the 2026 season for the Woodchucks.
• Each team had two different innings where they scored five or more runs.

WHAT’S NEXT

Wausau drops to 37-18 on the summer, and is now 16-9 in the second half. With Lakeshore’s win tonight over the Richmond Flying Mummies, the Chinooks are now two games ahead of the Woodchucks in the Great Lakes West playoff race. The Woodchucks, however, hold the tiebreaker, and technically still control their own destiny with two games still to play against Lakeshore this summer.

Wausau will hope to rebound tomorrow when they hit the road and travel to Herr-Baker Field for the final time this summer to face the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Wausau holds an 8-2 record against the Dock Spiders going into the meeting and has won its last seven matchups against Fond du Lac.

Wausau’s next home game will be Wednesday, July 29, when the Woodchucks host the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. First pitch from Athletic Park is slated for 6:35 p.m. There is plenty happening at the ballpark, starting with the “Be Amazing x Thrivent Financial Youth T-Shirt Giveaway”, as the first 500 youth fans will receive a free Woodchucks T-Shirt courtesy of Thrivent Financial. In addition, there is a “Be Amazing Night” fundraiser, and fans can get a reserved box seat in Section 205 for just $16.50, which includes a hot dog and soda or water. Just like every Wednesday at the ballpark this summer, it’s White Claw Wednesday, and there will be White Claw specials for fans to enjoy throughout the park! There are only eight total home games remaining in the 2026 regular season for the Woodchucks, and tickets for those games are available online at woodchucks.com.