Wisconsin Rapids looks for the series split tonight with Growlers and avoid a losing road trip

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After their first walk-off loss of the season last night, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters will shrug it off and face the Kalamazoo Growlers again tonight at Homer Stryker Field.  After being shutout 2-0 through the first seven innings, the cranberry and gold showed life in the eighth. Jarrod Watkins (Indiana State) belted a lead-off home run to the left field deck to bring the Rafters within one 2-1. Wisconsin Rapids tied it up at two the next inning as Brody Wofford (UCF) scored from third thanks to an RBI sacrifice fly from Matt Schmidt (Michigan). Kalamazoo would not go away in their half of the ninth. Down to the final out and final strike with runners at second and first, Niko Kavadas belted a walk-off double.

The Rafters will reset and turn the page tonight. Wisconsin Rapids will send RHP Jake Cook (1-1, 5.14 ERA) to the mound. Cook (Birmingham Southern) has struck out seven in 7.0 total innings across his first two Rafters starts. The Growlers will send LHP Tom Vail (0-0, 0.00 ERA) out to start things. Vail will be making his first start for Kalamazoo this evening. Vail has made two bullpen appearances thus far in 2018. In 4.0 relief innings, he has allowed just one hit and fanned five.

First pitch from Homer Stryker Field is slated for 7:05 pm ET, 6:05 pm CT.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit  www.raftersbaseball.com 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.