KALAMAZOO, MI. – The Rafters scratched across the game’s first run at Homer Stryker Field Monday night in the early going. Mason Onate collected a two-out RBI base hit up the middle to score Kyler McIntosh. 

The Growlers snagged the lead in the fourth with a three-run blast off the bat of Blake Grimmer. The second homer of the season for the Tennessee Volunteer made it 3-1. Greyson Shafer hit into a 4-6 Fielder’s Choice in the fifth that cut the deficit to just a run for Wisconsin Rapids. 

The Rafters sent eight hitters to the dish in the sixth and scored four times. Kyler McIntosh’s first homer of the season gave them the lead back at 4-3, and an RBI single from Jack Mathey improved the Rafter to 6-3. 

The Growlers chipped away at the deficit, adding a run in each of the sixth through eighth innings. The Rafters gathered a run in the eighth as well on another RBI base knock from Mathey. The Kent State commit’s multi-hit effort extended the Rafter lead to 7-5 at the time. 

Kalamazoo’s run in the eighth made it 7-6, but the host could not recover and dropped their seventh game in the second half in front of their home crowd. 

Tristin Crusenberry got the start for Wisconsin Rapids in this one. The right-hander went 3.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. Crusenberry walked two Growler hitters and struck out four on 78 pitches. 

Bryson Moore followed up Crusenberry out of the bullpen and got the win. The Virginia Cavalier went 4.2 and similar to Crusenberry, allowed three runs on five hits. Moore walked one and struck out five on 71 pitches. 

The ball went to Cannon Restine in the Rafter stable to collect the final three outs in the ninth. The right-hander slammed the door shut on the Growler offense and kept the one-run lead safe. Restine faced one over the minimum and punched out Gabe Spring swinging to end the contest. 

The Rafters remain in Michigan for the next two days. The team travels to Battle Creek tomorrow to begin a two-game set with the Battle Jacks. First pitch is slated for 6:35 EST from MCCU Field. Andy Jachim and Khalin Kapoor will be live on WFHR – 97.5 FM/1320 AM for the call of tomorrow evening’s game.