First Half Ends on High Note for Rafters

The Rafters scored early in game one and had to retake the lead late to win 5-3. In the nightcap, Wisconsin Rapids scored six runs over the first two innings and held off a late rally to win 6-3.

CJ Willis and Osvaldo Tovalin had RBIs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Green Bay answered with a run an inning later and tied the game in the fourth. Josh Nicoloff gave the Rafters the lead in the fifth inning when he scored on a wild pitch. Rapids added an insurance run one inning later on an RBI by Richie Schiekofer.

Nathan Hemmerling struck out five batters in 4.1 innings as the starter and Jimmy Borzone closed out the game to get the win. Green Bay’s Chandler Ingram is credited with the loss in relief.

In game two, the Rafters scored first again. Willis and Jake Dunham each plated runs in the first inning and the Rafters offense exploded for four more runs in the second. Schiekofer and Dunham both had RBI singles in the frame. Green Bay threatened late, walking in three runs and bringing the tying run to the plate in the sixth, but could not complete the comeback.

Starter Gareth Stroh is credited with the win for the Rafters with seven strikeouts over five shutout innings. Brayden Bonner relieved Dylan Mulvihill to get the final out in the seventh inning to earn the save.

The Rafters end the first half on a six-game winning streak and have won nine home games in a row at Historic Witter Field. The team finishes at second place in the Great Lakes West Division first-half standings with a record of 23-13.

The Rafters kick off the second half of their 10^thAnniversary Season and begin a two-game series with the Wisconsin Woodchucks at Historic Witter Field Wednesday, featuring a postgame fireworks show presented by Nasonville Dairy.

Want to attend a Rafters game this season? Single-game tickets are on sale now. For more information on all Rafters ticket offerings visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or come visit us over at historic Witter Field. The Rafters ticket office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at Witter Field, 521 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

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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 Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 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.