Wisconsin Rapids had the tying runner at the plate in the tenth

Wisconsin Rapids, WI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (27-32) dropped a heartbreaker against the Dock Spiders (38-21) 7-4 on a foggy Saturday evening at Witter Field.

The game ended two minutes before midnight and was delayed by rain from 6:55 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

When played resumed, Wisconsin Rapids went to work. EJ Exposito (Long Island) hit a two-run double in the first inning. It was his seventh RBI in the last three games.

Fondy responded in the second with a solo home run. Rafters’ starter Devin Rivera (Villanova) allowed only one run in 5.1 innings and continued his start even after the delay.

The third through the seventh inning saw no runs, with a combined eleven runners left on base.

The Dock Spiders tied it up in the eighth on their solo home run. In the top of the ninth, Fond Du Lac plated two runs, both on fielders’ choice.

In the ninth, down 4-2, Lance Gardiner (Saddleback) began the inning with a walk.

Sterling Hayes (Creighton) represented the tying run and came up to the plate. He blasted a ball over the left-center field wall, for his first home run of the season. Hayes was mobbed by teammates after touching home and the game was pushed into extras.

With a runner starting on second, Fondy hit an RBI double and then the final home run of the night, a two-run shot, to bring the score to 7-4.

The bottom of the tenth, saw a single from Ben Swords (Webster) to put runners on the corners, the Rafters’ next three batters went down on strikes.

The Rafters take on the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders for the final time this season, tomorrow Sunday August 1st at Herr Baker Field. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m, with coverage on WFHR AM 1320.

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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’ 27th 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 250 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 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 Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). 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