Rafters Look for Sweep of Growlers to Win Ninth Straight

After four home-runs on Friday night, the Rafters attempt to start 7-0 at home

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – A nine game win streak is on the line when the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters host the Kalamazoo Growlers on Saturday night from Witter Field.

After a season-best four home-runs on Friday night to defeat the Growlers 11-4, the Rafters hold a 10-1 record, the best mark in the Northwoods League this season.

The offense got a jumpstart early from third-year Rafter Dustin Woodcock, who hit a solo home-run in the first inning to put the Rafters on the board. Nic Motley followed in the second inning with a longball on the first pitch he saw in his summer with Wisconsin Rapids to give them a 3-0 advantage. Josh Rehwaldt and Scott Kapers each drilled a home-run in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend the lead. The four-team home-runs in one game is a Rafters record.

On the mound tonight for the Rafters is Tevita Gerber from UNLV. In his first start of the season, the lefty went four innings and gave up four runs to the Lakeshore Chinooks in a 17-5 Rafters win. Gerber was one of the most often used pitchers this past spring with the Rebels, appearing in 21 games and starting in seven. Kalamazoo (4-7) send Luke Schaefer to the hill to oppose Gerber. The righty has appeared in two games, starting one against the Kenosha Kingfish. Schaefer tossed six and two-thirds while giving up three earned runs and six hits. The Toledo sophomore struck out three and did not walk a batter.

The Rafters offense is led by Woodcock, who holds a team-best .393 batting average with a home-run and seven runs batted in. Offensively, the Growlers are led by Jason Sullivan with a .414 batting average and eight runs batted in.

Saturday night is the Budweiser postgame Fireworks Show following the game. First pitch is slated for 6:05 pm at Witter Field with coverage starting at 5:50 pm on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit http://northwoodsleague.com/wisconsin-rapids-rafters/ or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.