(Pictured: William Elliott)

Rafters Look To Hand Green Bay Consecutive Losses

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After a five game road trip the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (8-19) will be back in action tonight at Witter Field against the Green Bay Bullfrogs (10-16). The Rafters went 3-2 on their road trip, including a 5-4 extra inning win last night in Green Bay where Erik Payne scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Wisconsin Rapdis will try and extend the Bullfrogs current losing streak, which after last night is now at five games.

Rafters pitching has been spectacular over the past four games as they have combined to only give up 14 runs, 12 of which were earned runs. This strong pitching for the Rafters has allowed them to stay in ball games and find ways to win the close games, such as in last night’s victory over the Bullfrogs. The Bullfrogs come into this game 13th in the Northwoods League in batting average and with the third most strikeouts the league with 198. The Rafters pitching staff will look to raise that strikeout number tonight while they try and stifle this Green Bay offense.

The Bullfrogs will be sending out right handed pitcher Roberto Baroniel (0-1) to face the Rafters lineup tonight. Baroniel has started four games this season for Green Bay and has an ERA of 3.08 and is coming off a very good start his last time out against Battle Creek. But Baroniel is going to have to deal with some Rafters hitters who seem to have found their groove in this past week. William Elliott broke out of his slump this last week and is batting .444 with a pair of runs driven in his last five games. The top of the order has been doing a lot of damage of late as well, as leadoff hitter Zack Domingues is hitting .386 and has been walked 14 times in just 22 games played.

It is a 7:05pm start time tonight at historic Witter Field, which means the gates will be opening at 6:05pm. Tonight is also Schoep’s Ice Cream Superhero Night and any child that comes wearing a superhero costume will get free admission to the game tonight. There will also be superhero ice cream specials all night long here at Witter Field. 

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award Winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube Channel. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.