Jones and Eagan Lead Rafters to Victory in Madison

Eagan earns league-high sixth win while Jones drills two home-runs

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After dropping a double-header against Madison on Thursday, Wisconsin Rapids (24-7) defeated the Mallards (17-14) Friday from Warner Park, 9-4.

Christian Jones started the scoring in the game in the top of the second. On a 3-2 pitch, Jones roped a solo blast to left field to give the Rafters a 1-0 lead.

It did not take long for the Rafters to tag on another run against Mallards starter Heath Renz (2-1). Dustin Woodcock singled in Wyatt Mascarella in the third to take a 2-0 lead after three.

Rafters starter Jack Eagan (6-0) was on his game from the start, striking out four batters in the first three innings while getting production from his offense.

The day was not over for Jones as the power-surge continued for the Campbell product. Jones smacked a two-run blast in the fourth to put the Rafters on top 4-0 after four innings. Jake Guenther walked as the batter before Jones in the inning.

On his second hit of the day in the fifth, Woodcock drove a single back up the middle that drove in another run, pushing the Rafters ahead 5-0 after five innings.

Madison scored its first run in the fifth inning when Brock Weimer bounced into a fielder’s choice that bounced behind Eagan on the mound to score Jeffrey Mitchell Jr to pull the game to 5-1. In the next inning, Doran Turchin doubled and scored on a double from Mitchell Jr. to make it a 5-2 game.

The lead swelled back to five in the seventh for the Rafters, as Jacson McGowan blasted his first home-run of the season over the center field fence to give the Rafters a 7-2 advantage.

Madison had a chance to pull closer in the seventh, but Alex Jackson got Turchin to groundout back to him to end the threat, leaving two runners on base. The Mallards added a run in the eight on a Jake Matheny groundout to bring in Mitchell Jr. who reached on an error.

Nick Anderson led off the ninth with a hit for the Rafters, and was sacrificed over to second by Bryson Stott. Anderson scored on a single by Ryan Stekl. McGowan drove in Woodcock on a sacrifice fly to put the Rafters ahead 9-3 before the Mallards tagged on a run in the last inning to put the final score at 9-4.

Eagan picks up his league-leading sixth win on the year, while Renz drops his first game of the season.

First pitch in Wisconsin Rapids at Witter Field is slated for 7:05 pm on Saturday against the Dock Spiders. Coverage starts at 6:50 pm on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network. The game against Fond du Lac is Advanced Disposal Star Wars Night. Jerseys will be auctioned off benefiting the Boys and Girls Club.  

 

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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.