The Rafters first baseman was 4-for-5 on the day with two home runs

BOX SCORE GAME 1 || BOX SCORE GAME 2 || BOX SCORE GAME 3

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin – The Rafters took two of three on Monday in a triple-header against the Wisconsin Woodchucks at Witter Field. The Rafters dropped the first game, 6-2, but took the final two games by scores of 7-3 and 2-1, respectively. The two wins pull Wisconsin Rapids 30-34 on the year, one win shy of the franchise-record for victories, while the Woodchucks are now 23-44 overall.

The Rafters dropped game one 6-2, but came into the day with a four-run deficit. The game was a continuation of a suspended game due to rain on opening day, May 27. The game picked up in the top of the fifth inning with two outs and the Woodchucks leading 5-1. The Rafters tried to get things going in the sixth, but managed just one run on a couple hits. Wisconsin got the run back in the top of the seventh and finished the off the Rafters in the bottom half of the inning. The win for the Woodchucks snapped a 10-game losing streak.

Game two was a slugfest as the Rafters picked up the win, 7-3, behind three home runs. Wisconsin Rapids scored in each of the first two innings, only to have Wisconsin tie the game in the top of the third with a couple runs. Brock Carpenter (Seattle) and Ryan Cleveland (Georgia Southern) got the home run derby started with back-to-back home runs in the third, giving the Rafters to a 4-2 lead. The Woodchucks got in on the action in the fourth with a solo home run from outfielder Keenan Eaton (Wichita State), cutting the Rafters lead to one, 4-3. Jake Sandlin (Southern Miss), however, quickly brought the lead back to two with another solo bomb for Wisconsin Rapids in the fifth. Bryce Jordan (LSU) and Zack Domingues (Long Beach State) added RBI singles to extend the Wisconsin Rapids lead to four, 7-3. John Jaeger (Pacific) picked up the win for the Rafters, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. The righty struck out six and walked a pair.

Jake Johansmeier (Eastern Illinois) was the story in game three as the Rafters defeated the Woodchucks 2-1 in the nightcap. The right-handed pitcher threw a complete game, holding Wisconsin to just one run on eight hits while striking out 8 Woodchuck batters. The win was Johansmeier’s Northwoods League-leading seventh victory and extended his team record for wins in a single season. Sandlin got the scoring going in the game with an RBI single in the second put the Rafters on top 1-0, only to have Wisconsin tie the game on three hits in the fourth. But again, it was Cleveland’s bat that would carry the Rafters to victory as the Rafters first baseman slugged his second home run of the game to put Wisconsin Rapids on top for good, 2-1.

Cleveland was 4-for-5 on the day with the two home runs and three RBI, and now has home runs in three straight games. Sandlin was 5-for-6 across the final two games of the triple header, raising his season batting average to .299. Domingues picked up four hits and is now 10-for-18 with 18 runs scored over his last six games.

Tomorrow night marks the Major League Dream Showcase, featuring the top 100 prospects in Northwoods League as chosen by a panel of major league scouts. The showcase is a pair of games with mixed rosters of all the players in the North and South divisions hosted the Madison Mallards at Warner Park. Rafters infielders Carpenter and Domingues, as well as pitcher Jack Riley (UConn) will be representing Wisconsin Rapids at the showcase. The Rafters return to action on Wednesday, August 5 against the Woodchucks at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin.  

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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.