Box Score

Jake Johansmeier throws four scoreless in relief to pick up the win

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters picked up their first series sweep of the season, defeating the defending Northwoods League Champion Lakeshore Chinooks 4-1 at Witter Field on Thursday night. Jake Johansmeier (Eastern Illinois) threw a gem out of the bullpen to pick up the win. Johansmeier threw four shutout innings, allowing just three hits compared to four strikeouts. Jake Sandlin (Georgia College) stayed hot at the plate, collecting a pair of hits including his second long ball of the season. With the win, Wisconsin Rapids improves to 5-4, while the loss drops Lakeshore to 4-6.

After 13 innings of nearly identical baseball on Wednesday, the Rafters and Chinooks were at it again early in Thursday’s game. Wisconsin Rapids center fielder Sandlin hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot, to give the Rafters a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The Chinooks responded in the top of the fourth with a solo home run of their own to tie the game at 1-1.

The Rafters regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, 2-1, scoring a run on a Max Widmar (Parkland College) RBI single, scoring Wednesday night’s hero Mitch McGeein (Eastern Michigan).

Wisconsin Rapids added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. After a couple of hit batsman, Sam Tolleson (Central Florida) lined a single to left to score McGeein. Then Blake Molitor (Illinois State), who went from first to third on the Tolleson single, scored on a Widmar sacrifice fly.

The Rafters now travel to southeastern Wisconsin for their next two games where they will take on the Kingfish in Kenosha, Wis. Wisconsin Rapids returns to Witter Field on Sunday, June 7, when they start a six-game homestand with a pair of games against the Kalamazoo Growlers.

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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 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.