Bats and arms combine to keep Rafters unbeaten against Wisconsin
Wausau, Wis. – Riding the wake of a two-game sweep of the Battle Creek Bombers, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (31-16, 7-4) took to the road and routed the Wisconsin Woodchucks (19-27, 6-5) by a final score of 9-2. Behind an excellent pitching performance from Jake Repavich (Grand Canyon) and a 16-hit night from their lineup, the Rafters won their third straight game and fifth consecutive meeting with the Woodchucks.
Athletic Park quickly became a comfortable venue for the Rafters, as they surged out of the starting blocks to the tune of three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. A run-scoring wild pitch pushed Demetrius Sims (Bethune-Cookman) across to open the scoring and an RBI double from Rob Calabrese (Illinois-Chicago) plated Dustin Woodcock (SIU-Edwardsville) to give the Rafters a 2-0 lead. For good measure, a final run would score in the inning thanks to an RBI infield single from Joe Wainhouse (Washington), the first of four runs batted in for Wainhouse on the night.
After a two-run home run from Steele Walker cut the Rafter lead to 3-2 entering the fourth inning, the Rafters would resume their hit parade, piling up three hits in the fourth despite coming away scoreless. Finally in the fifth inning, the Rafters broke back into the scoring column on a massive three-run home run by Wainhouse that cleared the center field wall and pushed the score to 6-2.
Jake Lumley (Canisius), who extended his on-base streak to 31 games earlier in the game, led off the top of the sixth inning with a triple to the right-center field gap and came across several plays later on a wild pitch. Two innings later in the top of the eighth, the Rafters added their final insurance thanks to a run-scoring single from Patrick Cromwell (Clemson) and an RBI double off the base of the left field wall from Logan Mattix (Georgia College) to widen the gap to 9-2
Unfortunately for the Woodchucks, they would not muster much of a resistance, as Jake Repavich and the Rafter bullpen combined to quiet Wisconsin’s lineup in front of a season-high 2,467 fans at Athletic Park. In route to earning his first win of the season, Repavich fired six innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on 10 hits and striking out three, while walking one. Reggie Johnson (Alcorn State) and Cameron Busby (Georgia College) would combine to throw three hitless innings and compile three strikeouts to end the game.
The Rafters will return to action for their final game before the all-star break Sunday at Athletic Park for their sixth meeting of the year with the Woodchucks. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM with coverage commencing on WFHR AM 1320 at 4:50 PM.
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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.
