Wisconsin Rapids completes clean sweep of Kokomo, heads to Kenosha

The first-place Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (20-10) built an early lead and never looked back in a 9-3 win over the Kokomo Jackrabbits (10-21) on Sunday.

Jake Dunham posted an RBI single in the bottom of the first to put the Rafters on the board first. Richie Schiekofer tacked on another run with an RBI single an inning later to make it 2-0.

Matt Oldham launched the first pitch he saw in the third inning over the right-field wall for a three-run homer that put Rapids on top 5-0 heading to the fourth. Kokomo clawed their way back into the game with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth

Leading 5-3 in the seventh inning, the Rafters put the game out of reach with RBIs by Osvaldo Tovalin, Noah Thigpen and Edarian Williams in a three-run frame. Davion Downey capped off the scoring with a leadoff solo homer in the eighth.

Starter Jack Sinclair gets the win for Wisconsin Rapids, striking out four batters in 5.2 innings of work. Winston Allen closed the game with no hits in the ninth. Lucas Folmar is credited with the loss as the starter for Kokomo.

The Rafters are now three games ahead of Fond du Lac with a magic number of three to clinch a spot in the 2019 Northwoods League playoffs and home field advantage.

Wisconsin Rapids hits the road for a two-game series against the Kenosha Kingfish on Monday and Wednesday, bookending Tuesday’s Major League Dream Showcase in Madison. When the team returns to Historic Witter Field Thursday, they will face the Madison Mallards with special entertainment by the ZOOperstars! presented by Aspirus Riverview Hospital and Clinics.

As the Rafters gear up for a late-season run, you can experience the postseason action firsthand. For more information on playoff ticket offerings visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or visit 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.