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Route of Green Bay extends division lead to two games
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- After concluding the winningest month in franchise history, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (22-10) hosted the Green Bay Bullfrogs (12-20) on Friday for the final game of the series and final home game of the first half of the season by a score of 11-3.
Rafters’ starter Enrique Zamora (Calumet College of St. Joseph) turned in a fantastic performance on his way to earning the win. Zamora hurled five strong innings and allowed no runs on just three hits with seven strikeouts. The right-hander carried a no-hitter into the top of the fifth inning, recording the first out before his bid finally ended.
The Rafters struck quickly, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning against Bullfrog starter Austin Hancock, who entered play with a 0.96 ERA. The outing was Hancock’s shortest of the season, as he was lifted after the first inning due to Northwoods League pitch limit rules. A bases loaded Joe Wainhouse (Washington) two-run double off the wall and a two-run single from Ben Fisher (Eastern Kentucky) staked the Rafters to their early lead.
After a single run in the second and a scoreless third, the Rafters exploded for a six-run fourth inning, tying their largest run total in a single inning this year. Continuing his banner evening, Wainhouse crushed a fastball in the fourth inning for a solo home run to extend the Rafter lead to 6-0. Scott Kapers (Valparaiso) drove a pitch into the left-center field gap for a two-run double and Patrick Cromwell (Clemson) drove home a run with a sacrifice fly. Jake Lumley (Canisius) then followed up Cromwell’s RBI with one of his own on an opposite field double.
The Rafter shutout bid ended in the eighth inning courtesy of a Quincy Nieporte home run off reliever Jack Riley (UConn). The Bullfrogs tacked on two more runs as well to cut their deficit to 11-3.
Tomorrow the Rafters will look to hold their two-game lead in the South Division, as they travel to Kalamazoo to take on the Growlers. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. CT with coverage beginning at 5:50 p.m.
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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, 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 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 portal. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Rafters as your favorite team.