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Rain-shortened loss snaps winning streak
Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (6-4) watched their four-game winning streak disintegrate after their 2-1 loss to the Madison Mallards (7-3), a game that was called after five innings due to inclement weather
With the Mallards leading 2-1 through five innings, the decision was made to stop play and enter a lightning delay with the expectation of resuming play later in the evening. Unfortunately for the Rafters, a downpour followed the initial strikes of lightning just minutes later and, without the infield covered by a tarp, the surface was rendered completely unplayable.
The scoring was opened in the bottom of the first inning on a Lucas Halstead two-run home run over the left field wall, marking one of just two Mallard hits in the weather-shortened ballgame. Right-hander Enrique Zamora, who started for the Rafters, offered an excellent response to Halstead’s blast over the ensuing four innings, finishing with four strikeouts and finishing with four consecutive scoreless frames.
Unfortunately for the Rafters, Mallard starter Colin Brockhouse matched Zamora pitch for pitch and limited the Rafters to just a single unearned run in his five-inning complete game. Following his single to center field in the fourth inning, Ben Fisher would circumnavigate the bases thanks to a pair of errors from the Mallards. The fourth-inning run would prove to be the Rafters’ only resistance as their scoreless fifth inning would prove to be their last opportunity to pull even with Madison.
In the loss, Rafter third baseman Patrick Cromwell succeeded in extending his hitting streak to nine games and infielder Jake Lumley prolonged his on-base streak to nine games.
The defeat snapped the Rafters’ four-game winning streak and sank the Rats to 2-3 on the season against the Mallards. Weather permitting, the Rafters and Mallards are scheduled to resume their season series tomorrow evening at 6:35 p.m. at Warner Park.
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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 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, 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 150 former 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.
