WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – In their first game of the season at the Historic Witter Field, The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters fell victim to the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 7-4.
The Rafters opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single by Tyler McClanahan, his first hit of the season in his first at bat. One batter later, a dropped third strike brought home Matt Brandt from third base to increase the lead to 2-0.
Fond du Lac cut the deficit in half in the top of the third, after four walks by Rafters starter Brandon Scott scored Nicholas Shiu. An error by Dock Spiders second baseman Drew Prosek in the bottom of the inning led to another run for the Rafters, who took a 3-1 lead into the middle innings.
But after two scoreless innings, the Rafters collapsed in the sixth.
Reliever Cannon Restine walked two straight, induced a flyout, then two passed balls that got away from catcher Jack Mathey allowed one run to score. Then, new pitcher Matthew Heard allowed an RBI single from Kelsen Johnson and a two-run double off the bat of Quinten Perilli.
Parker Knoll led off the seventh with a solo home run off Heard, the first round-tripper of the season for Fond du Lac, to give them a 6-3 lead. Knoll would tack on an RBI single in the eighth for his second hit and run driven in of the game. Heard would be the losing pitcher in the ballgame.
Down four runs entering the bottom of the ninth and without a hit since the second, the Rafters finally threatened after a Trotter Boston double put runners at second and third with one out. Unfortunately for the Witter Field faithful, only one run was scored on a Mason Onate groundout, and Mathey then struck out swinging to end the game.
For the second straight day, the Rafters pitching staff walked more than 10 opposing hitters, with Scott tallying five himself in his three innings of work. Other than the free passes, Scott was sharp, ceding just one run and striking out four.
Fond du Lac starter Jacob Bosse was hooked in the third inning and allowed three runs (one earned) while walking four and striking out three. Reliever Zach Silfies got credited with the victory after spinning three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Noah Tschopp slammed the door in the ninth for the save.
The Rafters finished with just three total hits and 14 strikeouts, with every single hitter in the lineup striking out at least once.
Tomorrow night, the Rafters will welcome the Waterloo Bucks to Witter Field for a two-game set, with game one set for 6:35. Khalin Kapoor will have the call on the Northwoods League plus app, and Andy Jachim will be on WFHR – 95.5 FM, 1320 AM.
