Rafters score ten runs in a Thursday win

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After a one-night hiatus, the Rafters league-leading offense was back on Thursday night. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters held the Woodchucks to two hits in a 10-1 blowout on Mid-State Technical College Blackout Tuition Night.

The Rafters wore special black uniforms for Blackout Tuition Night and the pitchers responded by blacking out the Woodchucks for five innings. Rafters ace Glenn Albanese started and went four innings, allowing no hits or runs to the Woodchucks. Albanese struck out eight batters to raise his strikeout total to 37, first in the Northwoods League.

The Rafters offense took a little time to boot up but powered up in the sixth in response to a run from the Woodchucks. The Rafters loaded up the bases and tied the game on a Billy Cook RBI single. With Andy Garriola at the plate two batters later, the Rafters took the lead on a wild pitch. Garriola followed the go-ahead run with an RBI fielder’s choice to the drawn-in infield.

The Rafters would tack on seven more unanswered runs between the rest of the sixth and the seventh to win 10-1. Sam Hliboki got the win with three innings pitched. Hliboki did not allow an earned run, striking out three. The Rafters also got scoreless innings from Nathan Hemmerling and Eric Wallington in relief.

Tomorrow, the Rafters stay at Witter Field for game two of the homestand versus the Rockford Rivets, looking to improve on their Northwoods League best 10-1 record at home. Coverage of the Rivets and the Rafters begins at 6:20pm on AM 1320 WFHR and 6:30pm on the Northwoods League Baseball Network.

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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 proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26^th season, 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 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.