Kravetz Leads Charge After Walk Off Loss  

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After a second consecutive walk off loss, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (9-22) aim to bounce back and get a series split with the La Crosse Loggers (20-10). The Rafters lost 5-4 in last night’s ballgame after making a late inning rally to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, only to have the Loggers win it in the bottom half. The series comes to an end tonight at Copeland Park in La Crosse with first pitch set for 7:05pm.

John Kravetz (Illinois, 1-3) will be starting for the Rafters tonight and he is coming off of his best performance as a Rafter to date. In his last outing Kravetz got his first victory of the season as he went seven innings only giving up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five against the Battle Creek Bombers. Kravetz will be making his fifth start of the season for Wisconsin Rapids and he has put up some very impressive numbers. In his 25 innings of work he has an ERA of 3.24 and has only walked four batters compared to the 20 that he has struck out.

The Rafters will be facing Loggers right handed pitcher Grant Yost (Sacramento City CC, 3-0) who has put up very similar numbers to John Kravetz this season. Yost will be making his eighth appearance overall tonight and his third start for La Crosse. In his 25 innings of work he has an ERA of 3.24 while walking 10 and striking out 22 batters.

The Rafters bats will look to keep doing damage as last night they out hit the Loggers ten to eight. Zack Domingues (Long Beach State) scored a run last night and went 2-4 to take his batting average to .371 on the season, which ranks third in the Northwoods League. Keelin Rasch (Louisiana Monroe) also had some key RBI’s in last night’s ballgame which gives him 15 runs batted in on the season, enough to make him the Rafters clubhouse leader in that category.

The Rafters travel back to La Crosse to finish up the season series with the Loggers tonight, with first pitch at 7:05pm. The Rafters return to Witter Field tomorrow evening to face the Wisconsin Woodchucks, for a 6:05pm game with gates opening at 5:05pm. Saturday also features a Duncan Disability Law First Aid Kit Giveaway.

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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.