Rafters make clutch plays to improve to a winning record

Wisconsin Rapids, WI— Wisconsin Rapids pull off a stunning victory to take down Wausau 3-2. They out hit the Woodchucks 8-3 and played exceptional on both sides of the ball.

Josh Howitt got the start on the mound and was dealing early. He threw 5 total strikeouts, but the Woodchucks drew 1st blood in the bottom of the 3rd. Wausau 1st baseman, Jake Baker, was hit by a pitch and a couple walks came after that. That allowed the bases to be loaded with 1 out. A passed ball from Josh Howitt had Baker dart home from 3rd and give the Woodchucks a 1-0 lead.

The Rafters found themselves not finding any momentum on the offensive side until the 6th inning. Levi Jensen singled to left field and Ty Johnson doubled into right. The Rafters had runners on 2nd and 3rd with Brendan Bobo up. Bobo has been struggling prior to today, but this time at bat he was not going to be denied. On the first pitch, he belted a ball into deep left center field for a 3 run home run, his first homer of the year. The Rafters went up 3-1 and the spirits were high.

Creighton product and returning Rafter, Malakai Vetock, was brought in for the pitching duties. He tallied 3 strikeouts, but the Woodchucks came back with a run of their own once again. In the bottom of the 8th the center fielder, Dalton Pearson, who hit a home run yesterday did it once again today. He flew a ball into left center field that just had enough distance to go over the wall. The game became a 1 run ballgame.

Shane Taylor and Logan Hugo each got a hit in the top of the 9th, but unfortunately the Rafters could not cash in any of the runs in. The bottom of the 9th came around and the Westcliff product, Julian Tristan, stepped on the mound. Wausau made a quick attack as Berkland was hit by a pitch and Wallace pulled a ball into left field. There were runners on 1st and 3rd and nobody out. Tristan stepped up in the clutch and recorded back to back strikeouts. Simon Sherry was due up and the play of the game was made. Sherry hit a hard ground ball into Taylor at 3rd as he dove out to his left, fielded the ball in his glove, and gunned Sherry down at 1st. The Rafters pulled off a tremendous victory. 

Wisconsin Rapids improves to 11-10 and splits the series with Wausau. The Rafters have their 1st doubleheader tomorrow as they head to Green Bay for both. First pitch scheduled at 12:05 and the second game is slotted at 6:35.

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. Now in its’ 30^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 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 325 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 and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.greenbayrockers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rockers as your favorite team.