Home-run Ball Paces Rafters in Win Against Kenosha

Rapids holds off last-inning Kenosha comeback, Henderson closes the game

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After a comeback bid in the ninth by Kenosha (23-17), Wisconsin Rapids (31-10) squeaked a 10-8 victory at Simmons Field on Sunday evening.

For the fourth straight game, Wisconsin Rapids scored in the first inning. Charlie McConnell led off with a single, and scored on a double by Dustin Woodcock to put the Rafters up 1-0.

Jake Guenther joined in on the early offense for Rapids, tagging a ball over the right field wall for a solo homer to give the Rafters a 2-0 lead on Quinn Snarskis (2-1).

Rapids busted the game open in the third, as Nick Anderson led off the inning with a solo home-run. Woodcock walked while Jacson McGowan and Christian Jones were hit by pitches to load the bases. Guenther dug in, and smacked a grand slam to right-center to put the Rafters on top 7-0 after three innings.

The day continued for the offense in the fourth as Wyatt Mascarella was hit by a pitch. Woodcock laced an RBI single to left, pushing the Rafters lead to 8-0.

Starter Sam Carver (2-3) cruised through the first four innings, not giving up a run on four hits.

McGowan wasted no time in the fifth, leading off the inning with a solo blast and giving the Rafters a 9-0 advantage on Kenosha.

It took until the bottom of the sixth for the Kingish to get on the board. After a Rafters error, Tim Millard went deep to left, hitting a home-run to make the game 9-2. Kenosha added a run in the eighth to pull within 9-3, and Rapids tagged an insurance run on in the top of the ninth to make it 10-3.

In the bottom of the inning, Kenosha scored five runs to push the Rafters bullpen. Ben Troike led off with a single and Tyler Paulson hit a two-run homer off Carver. Austin Bodrato singled and Jesse Wilkening was hit by a pitch before Derek Bangert homered off Nick Avila to make the score 10-8. Layne Henderson entered the game for the Rafters, striking out the final two batters of the game for his ninth save in as many tries.

Carver earns his second win on the season, tossing eight and a third innings. The lefty is tagged with three earned runs. He did not walk a batter.  

Wisconsin Rapids and Kenosha have a first pitch of 7:05 p.m. with coverage of Monday’s game starting at 6:50 p.m. 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.