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Play Three Games In One Day
Eau Claire, Wis.-It was a long and wild day for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (22-39, 10-16) and the Eau Claire Express (31-31, 15-14) as they played parts of three games on Wednesday. After the Rafters took game one in Wisconsin Rapids in dramatic fashion, they came back to Eau Claire to pick up a suspended game from June 30th. After a month and a hour rain delay, the game finally ended in a 10-3 victory for the Express.
When the final game of the day picked up, the Rafters immediately went on the attack. After a leadoff single in the top of the 1st, Zack Domingues (Long Beach State) was able to score on a wild pitch to give the Rafters the early lead. From there starter Derek Kawlewski (Rhode Island) took over.
Kawlewski had been a back of the bullpen pitcher for Wisconsin Rapids all season, but placed into an emergency start Kawlewski took off. The righty went 7 strong innings and scattered 5 hits while allowing only one unearned run. The unearned run scored in the 4th and the game would remain locked at 1-1 for two full innings.
The Rafters would send eight hitters to the plate and score three runs in the top of the 7th which would provide all the cushion Wisconsin Rapids would need. Eau Claire had chances all evening but the Rafters were able to pitch out of some tight situations en route to stranding nine Express runners.
Wisconsin Rapids next heads to Canada for the first time in team history as they will play parts of two more games on Thursday.
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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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