Rafters Host Rivets in Final Series Before All-Star Break  

Wisconsin Rapids seeks to start 3-0 against Rockford 

 

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – With two games left before the All-Star break, Wisconsin Rapids (33-12, 6-3) hosts Rockford (23-21, 6-4) from Witter Field on Saturday for the third meeting this season.  

 

The Rafters are 2-0 this year against the Rivets at home, and come off their largest comeback win of the season in Green Bay on Friday evening.  

 

It was an early start for Rapids, tagging on a run in the first inning off Bullfrogs starter Will Gilbert. Nick Anderson singled with one out, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Jacson McGowan. 

 

Green Bay knotted the game in the bottom of the inning when Riley Smith grounded out to score Alanzo Jones, who walked to start the inning off Rafters starter Jack Eagan. Kyle Benyo led off the bottom of the second for Green Bay with a single, and Ben Hart drew a walk. With two outs, Jones ripped a two-RBI triple to left-center to give the Bullfrogs their first lead, 3-1 after two against Rapids. In the largest scoring inning of the evening, Green Bay added four runs on three separate base hits in the third. 

 

To start off the sixth, Will Davis singled for his second hit of the game. Jared Nelson and Charlie McConnell walked to load the bases for Rapids, and Nick Anderson was hit by a pitch to score Davis. Nelson and McConnell scored on back-to-back walks issued to Dom Paiotti and McGowan to pull the Rafters within 7-4. Dustin Woodcock unloaded the bases with a deep double off the fence in right-center field to tie the game 7-7 in the seventh. 

 

In the ninth, McConnell drove a sacrifice fly to center to give the Rafters their first lead since the first inning, 8-7. Woodcock drove in a run with a single, and McGowan capped off the comeback with another sacrifice fly to put the Rafters on top 10-7 and a lead they held in the bottom of the inning. 

 

On Saturday night, the Rafters send Josh Aguilar to the mound for his second start on the season. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA, with his lone start against the Bullfrogs on the road. The sophomore gave up four earned runs and struck out six to pick up his first career Rafters win. 

 

Cole Bellair (3-2) starts for the second time against the Rafters for the Rivets.  The right-hander owns a 3.66 ERA, and went six innings on July 3rd against the Rafters. Bellair gave up six earned runs, four of them in the sixth inning during the 6-3 loss in Rapids. Bellair’s best game came vs. Battle Creek, going eight innings with no earned runs. 

 

Advanced Disposal presents Saturday’s game, and there will be a fireworks show following the game. Coverage begins at 5:50 p.m. on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network for the 6:05 p.m. first pitch. Gates open at 5:05 p.m. 

 

 

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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, 180 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 www.raftersbaseball.comor download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.