Rafters Host Growlers For Final Series with Kalamazoo 

Wisconsin Rapids 5-1 vs. Kalamazoo this season 

 

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – Playing its third straight game at home, Wisconsin Rapids (42-18, 15-9) welcomes Kalamazoo (18-39, 9-14) to Witter Field on Monday. The Rafters are 5-1 against the Growlers this season, and come off a series split with Lakeshore. 

 

Lakeshore’s Drake Lubin drove in the first run of the game, singling back up the middle to plate Jack Dunn. The Rafters took advantage of a walk and a Lakeshore error to move runners into scoring position in the fourth inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, Scott Kapers doubled off the wall in left field to score Ryan Stekl and Will Davis. Wisconsin Rapids carried a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning.

 

Daniel DeSimone of the Chinooks tied the game at two in the fifth with a solo home run, his fifth on the season. 

 

However, Wisconsin Rapids regained the lead in the sixth, scoring three runs on two hits and a Lakeshore error. With runners on second and third, a ground ball from Scott Kapers slipped through the legs of Rylan Thomas at third and two runs crossed. Kapers came around to score on a Charlie McConnell RBI single to right field to put the Rafters up 5-2. 

 

Dustin Woodcock drove a sacrifice fly in the seventh to add an insurance run for the Rafters. Mason McReaken (2-1) shut down the Chinooks in the final two innings to seal the 6-2 win and give the Rafters a 4-2 lead in the season series with Lakeshore. 

 

Set to start on the mound for the Rafters against the Growlers is Grant Gunderson (0-1). The right-hander has one start this year, coming against Wisconsin. Gunderson tossed four and two thirds in the 15-5 loss. The St. Thomas product has pitched once out of the Rafters bullpen, throwing a scoreless inning on the road in Kenosha in his first appearance. 

 

Game Notes: 

 

– Wisconsin Rapids is 5-1 against Kalamazoo this season, including 2-0 at Witter Field. Wisconsin Rapids leads the all-time series 17-13. 

 

– Bryson Stott rides a 16-game hitting streak entering today's game, the longest active streak for the Rafters. Jake Guenther owns the longest of the season at 23 straight games to open the year. 

 

– With two more hits on Sunday, Stott now has 81 on the season and is four away from having the Rafters record for most hits in a season. Keelin Rasch of Louisiana Monroe currently holds the record of 84 hits in the 2014 season. 

 

– Dustin Woodcock recorded his 98th career RBI with the Rafters on Sunday. With two more until 100, he would become the first Rafter in team history to accomplish the century mark in RBI's. 

 

First pitch set for 7:05 p.m. for Monday’s game with the Growlers. Coverage starts at 6:50 p.m. on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network. Monday is Salute to Wisconsin Sports Day. Wear your favorite Wisconsin team’s gear and be entered into a drawing to win sports memorabilia throughout the night. 

 

 

 

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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.