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Rafters Finish Road Trip With 5-4 Win
Green Bay, Wis.- The first matchup between the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (8-19) and the Green Bay Bullfrogs (10-16) turned out to be a doozy as the Rafters won by a score of 5-4 in 11 innings. Both teams squandered numerous opportunities as the two clubs combined to leave 34 runners on base.
The Rafters got off to a hot start as they jumped to a 4 run after they chased Bullfrogs starter Corey Fischer (Madison College) after an inning and two thirds. Fischer struggled with his control as he walked four. Bases on balls were a theme of the afternoon as both teams combined to walk 19 batters.
Green Bay rallied to tie the game in the 5th as they scored three runs in the frame. The game would remain tied at that score for the next five innings. There were certainly chances for each team as both clubs recorded 10 hits.
The Rafters best chance of avoiding extra innings came in the top of the ninth when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Bullfrogs’ lefty Matt Sabel (UW-Oshkosh) would bear down and retire the next three Rafters to get out of the jam. Green Bay would come right back with a threat of their own. With one out, the Bullfrogs would put runners on first and third with one out. A failed squeeze followed by a fly-out sent the game into extras.
Wisconsin Rapids would finally break through in the 11th. Erik Payne (Virginia Tech) opened up the inning with a double. Payne would reach third but the Rafters came close to stranding more runners when Jake Stolley (Northwestern) threw a wild pitch with Michael Hurwitz (Illinois) at the plate. The breakthrough run was all the Rafters would need as Matt McClain (St. Mary’s) shut the door in the bottom of the inning.
The two teams will match up again over the next three nights. The next two ballgames will take place at historic Witter Field with first pitch at 7:05 pm CST both evenings.
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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.
