KOKOMO, INDIANA – As Dorothy said in The Wizard of OZ, “There is no place like home.” However, after a 4-1 road trip, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters may be rethinking this light-hearted sentiment.  Wisconsin Rapids beat the Kokomo Jackrabbits 4-2 tonight for their 26th win of 2022.  

The Rafters were held scoreless in the top of the first after a Ben Ross leadoff single.  Rafters starter, Nick Torres, shut down Kokomo in the bottom half of the first 1-2-3.  However, the Rats bats came alive in the top of the second.  Seth Stroh hit a ground-rule RBI double to give the Rafters their first run and lead of the night, 1-0.  Aidan Brewer hit an RBI single in the next at-bat, and then a Stone Miyao RBI sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 ballgame.  Torres threw two more scoreless innings in the bottom halves of the second and third to end his night.  He only gave up two hits, one walk, and struck out two.  

The Rafters scored two more runs in the fourth via an RBI sacrifice fly from Aidan Brewer and an RBI single from Stone Miyao to put Wisconsin Rapids up 5-0.  Josh Howitt entered the game in relief for the Rafters in the home half of the fourth and threw a scoreless frame. He threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, but then Kokomo struck in the sixth.  A Tucker Platt RBI single brought the first run across for the Jackrabbits to make it a 5-1 game.  The end of Howitt’s line was three innings of one run baseball on allowing one walk and striking out two. 

Ben Adams threw the bottom half of the seventh for the Rafters, as he allowed one more run (unearned) to score for the Jackrabbits to make it 5-2.  Cooper Robinson threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Rafters while giving up no hits and only allowing one walk.  The Rats bats woke back up in the top of the ninth, as a two-run single off the bat of Garrett Broussard gave the Rafters a 7-2 lead.  Preston Howey threw a 1-2-3 bottom half of the ninth to secure the win for Wisconsin Rapids.  Howitt earned the win, his third of 2022.  Ben Ross, Harry Owen, and Seth Stroh all had multi-hit games at the plate, with Ross leading the charge with a three-hit night. 

The Rafters (26-5) play host to the Lakeshore Chinooks (16-15) tomorrow night at Witter Field at 6:35 pm.  Catch all the action with Carter Gledhill on the Northwoods League Baseball Network and with Brett Loftis on WFHR 1320 AM/97.5 FM. 

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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’ 28th 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 280 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 (NYM), 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 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. 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.