Rafters Drop Second Game of Double-Header

An Aaron Soucy home-run is the difference in 6-4 Woodchuck victory

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After a 9-3 loss in Wausau this morning, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (17-4) dropped the second half of the double-dip to the Wisconsin Woodchucks (8-13), 6-4 on Tuesday at Witter Field.

The Rafters jumped out to a 3-0 lead and led 4-2 into the sixth, but the swing of Aaron Soucy took the Woodchucks from down two to up one and the bullpen for the Woodchucks closed the door. Bryson Stott drove in two runs for the Rafters who lose their second straight game at Witter Field.

The Rafters took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a back-to-back RBI hits from Jake Guenther and Sean Sutton. Guenther doubled to center to score Stott from second base. Sutton, starting his first game in a Rafters uniform, tallied his first hit and first RBI on the season on a single back up the middle.

Wisconsin Rapids added another run in the third when Nick Anderson doubled and scored on a Stott fielder’s choice. After a stellar first inning from Woodchuck starter Heath Hawkins, the Rafters tallied seven hits to end Hawkins’ day after just three innings.

Wisconsin rallied for two runs in the fifth to cut the Rafters lead to 3-2. The bat of Andrew Smith closed the gap, singling down the right field line to score two. Soucy and Nolan Ryan crossed home to put the Woodchucks on the board.

Stott drove in Nick Anderson for the second time on the evening in the fifth to build the Rafters lead to 4-2. Anderson drew a one-out walk and stole second base to set the stage for Stott, who drove a 2-2 pitch to right-center.

The Woodchucks took their first lead of the evening in the sixth. On one swing, right-handed Soucy blasted a ball over the fence in left-center field, good for a three-run home-run.  Soucy’s first home run of the year gave the Woodchucks a 5-4 lead. Wisconsin added an unearned run in the eighth and the bullpen closed the door on Wisconsin Rapids for the 6-4 win.

The Rafters will travel to Green Bay tomorrow to open a home and home series with the Bullfrogs. The teams will meet at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch before travelling back to Witter for a Thursday match up. Thursday marks '70s Night at Witter with special appearance by Jimmie Walker, "Dyn-o-mite Kid" J.J. Evans from the 1970s CBS TV Series Good Times, with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

 

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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.