Passatempo wins it for ‘Chucks, 4-3, over Rockford
Wausau, WIS – The Wisconsin Woodchucks beat the Rockford Rivets, 4-3, on a walkoff Saturday night in their first game at the newly renovated Athletic Park after the planned home opener was postponed due to rain Friday night.
Steve Passatempo (UMass Lowell) won it on an RBI fielder’s choice with one out in the ninth inning, driving in Stevie Mangrum (Virginia Tech). Passatempo also singled three times, drove in another run and scored one as well. He did it all while battling cramps on the basepaths after struggling down the first base line on his first single, which came in the first inning.
Robert Zeigler (Kent State) started on the mound for the Woodchucks and threw three innings, conceding two runs (both earned) while striking out six.
Four ‘Chucks relievers contributed scoreless innings: Connor Brewster (University of San Francisco), Brandon Lambright (Abilene Christian University), Evy Ruibal (Notre Dame) and Gordon Cardenas (Auburn).
Mac Caples (Virginia Tech) doubled and scored the first run for the ‘Chucks when they pushed two across in the bottom of the third, answering a pair of Rockford runs in the top half of the inning.
That did it for the scoring until the top of the seventh inning when Rockford scratched out a run on Jacob Vander Wal’s infield single, only to be answered by Mangrum's solo homer to left in the bottom half that tied the game right back up at three runs apiece.
Cardenas got the win for the ‘Chucks in relief.
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The Wisconsin Woodchucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.wisconsinwoodchucks.com.
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