Teams Combine For 5 Home Runs In Rafters Defeat

Box Score

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- A huge crowd of 1,528 came to historic Witter Field looking forward to the postgame fireworks show and watched the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (12-25, 0-2) and Wisconsin Woodchucks (19-16, 2-0) combine for five home runs in a 12 -7 Woodchucks win. Wisconsin hit four of the blasts including two off of the bat of first baseman Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech).

With the Rafters shorthanded entering the game, it was imperative that starter Jeff Gogue (Cal St. Dominguez Hills) pitch deep into the game. He breezed through the first nine batters he faced before running into some trouble in the top of the 4^th. After walking the leadoff man, Gogue served up a two run home run to Zach Arnold (Kentucky). The Woodchucks tacked on four more in the top of the 5^th and the game looked to be in the Woodchucks grasp.

However, the Rafters would keep chipping away with runs in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th to make it 6-4. The Woodchucks would come right back and take advantage of the Rafters’ shorthanded bullpen as Wisconsin scored five runs against usual position players Michael Jurgella (St. Cloud State) and Michael Hurwitz (Illinois).

The Rafters would not say die in the bottom of the 9^th on a two run home run off the bat of Tyler Servais (Priceton) but the mountain was too steep to climb as Wisconsin Rapids dropped their third consecutive game by a score of 12-7. The Rafters return to historic Witter Field tomorrow for an afternoon game against the Kenosha Kingfish. First pitch is at 3:05 pm.

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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.

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