Power Bats Electric in 12-6 Rafters Win

Rafters Jack-Thomas Wold, Andy Garriola and Kyle Teel homer to double up Woodchucks.

Wisconsin Rapids, WI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters offense took to the skies on Friday in Wausau, pouring on nine unanswered runs in the final four innings en route to a 12-6 win over the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

The offensive fireworks for the Rafters began in the top of the third. In his first start in the Northwoods League, high school senior Kyle Teel (Virginia) crushed a solo home run to cut the early Woodchucks lead to 2-1. Later in the inning, Andy Garriola (Old Dominion) singled to left, scoring Richie Schiekofer (Rutgers) to tie the game.

The Woodchucks struck for two more in the bottom of the third, but the Rafters responded. First, Cole Bartels (Penn State) singled home a run to make it 3-4. More offense followed for the Woodchucks, with a pair of runs crossing the plate. The Rafters pitching staff would buckle down from that point on, shutting out the Woodchucks for the remainder of the game.

Pitchers Hayden Merda (Asuza Pacific) and Jimmy Borzone (Dixie State) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings to close the game, with a combined line of 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Borzone earned the first save of the season for the Rafters with 2.1 hitless innings in relief.

The offensive jumpstart began with Kyle Teel’s second home run, a two-run shot with one out. The Rafters would tie the game three batters later. Teel drove in three runs with his two homers, leading the way in the Rafters win.

In the seventh, Andy Garriola took Jacob Curry deep for a solo home run, his first of the summer to give the Rafters their first lead of the night. Jacob Hinderleider (Davidson), Andy Garriola, and Christian Sepulveda (UTRGV) all chipped in RBI hits in the eighth to make the score 10-6. The night was capped by Jack-Thomas Wold’s moonshot two-run home run to right field out of the stadium.

The winning pitcher was Hayden Merda, who pitched an inning scoreless with a walk and two strikeouts. The loss went to Jacob Curry who allowed the go-ahead solo home run to Andy Garriola in his two innings of pitching.

Tomorrow, the Rafters are back at Witter Field, facing off against the Wisconsin Woodchucks once again. First pitch is at 6:35, and there will be a fireworks show brought to you by S&S Distributing after the game to celebrate the Fourth of July.