Rafters squeeze out a victory and improve to 5-5

Wisconsin Rapids, WI— The Rafters squeeze out a victory by winning 3-2 as they make it 3 in and row and sweep the Wausau Woodchucks. They out hit Wausau 4-3

The Woodchucks struck first as Brady Jurgella drove a solo home run into deep right center field to give the Woodchucks the lead. Then the hitting continued for Wausau, Vincent Samuel doubled into right field. Following it up with an RBI double was catcher, Matt Mcgann, that sent Samuel home to give the Woodchucks an early 2-0 lead in the top of the 2nd. 

The Elon product, Alex Duffey, got the hits started for Wisconsin Rapids as he flied a ball into right field that stayed fair on the 3rd base line. Shortly after the returning rafter, Chris Conniff, smacked a 2 run shot into right center field to tie the game at 2 a piece. 

It was a pitching duel between the two bullpens as the Rafters and the Woodchucks both had 7 strikeouts each. Brett Porthan got the start on the mound for Wisconsin Rapids as he had 2.2 IP before he left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. Hayden Cody came in and did not allow any runs relying on his infield to make some great plays. It was a back and forth game on the defensive side of the ball and it was scoreless for 3 straight innings until the Rafters took the lead.

In the bottom of the 7th, Garret Broussard recorded the 4th and final hit of the game as he drove a ball into center field to get on base. Shane Taylor was up next and was hit in the back by a pitch which put two runners on. Broussard and Taylor eventually both advanced the bases and got to 2nd and 3rd. Alex Duffey then grounded a ball into the first basemen which allowed Broussard to get home and give the Rafters a 3-2 lead. Julian Tristan came on in the 9th inning and retired the side with 3 straight outs acquiring his 3rd save of the year. 

The Rafters get back to .500 with a 5-5 record. They are getting hot! They have outscored opponents 15-3 in the past 3 games and their bullpen is continuing to strengthen. The Rats will hit the road to Green Bay tomorrow and look for their first win of the season against the Rockers. First pitch is scheduled at 6:35 at Capitol Credit Union Park!

Want to attend a Rafters game this season? Rafters 9-Game Ticket Packages are on sale now! For more information on all Rafters ticket offerings visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or come visit us over at historic Witter Field. The Box Office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at Witter Field, 521 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

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’ 30th 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 245 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.