Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The comeback effort for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (4-7) fell just short once again as they lost 9-7 in the first of a two-game series with the Royal Oak Leprechauns (6-4). The Rafters were down 9-2, but had the bases loaded down two runs when a strikeout ended the game. Wisconsin Rapids’ Mason Onate reached three times while starter Noah Marschke (0-1) pitched four strong innings and Espn Simpson had three shutout frames, although it wasn’t enough.

The game was knotted at zero until the top of the fourth when the Leprechauns finally got to Marschke, tagging him with two runs on a Nolan Alvord RBI sac fly and Dylan Larkins RBI single.

Leprechauns starter Cal Rutherford (1-0) retired the first nine batters, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Rafters loaded the bases with nobody out, allowing Jack Guerrero to pick up an RBI sac fly and cut the gap to 2-1.

That didn’t last long as the visiting team added four runs in the top of the fifth, making it 6-1. Wisconsin Rapids reliever Jack O’Brasky came in to start the inning, but it wasn’t his night, allowing a bases-loaded walk from Max Orozco before Nolan Alvord cleared them with a three-RBI double.

The Rafters were able to cut the deficit by one in the bottom of the fifth on Mason Onate’s RBI single off Rutherford, but they ended the inning still down 6-2.

After Ashton Poole relieved Wisconsin Rapids’ O’Brasky and had a shutout sixth, he couldn’t keep it up in the seventh, allowing an RBI single from Orozco and two-RBI single from Alvord before he was pulled with a 9-2 deficit. Espn Simpson relieved Poole with a runner on first, and after he was caught stealing, Simpson retired the next two.

That jolt from Simpson gave the Rafters some momentum, and they scored two in the bottom half on a two-RBI single from Spencer Davis off Royal Oak’s Mikey Eickhoff to make it 9-4.

After a perfect inning from Simpson, the lead was reduced even further in the bottom of the eighth thanks to an RBI pinch-hit single from Ashton Zacher off Royal Oak’s Gavin Moczydlowsky that made it 9-5.

Simpson had another perfect inning in the ninth and Noah Ruiz took a bases loaded hit-by-pitch from Moczydlowsky before Fischer Hendershot relieved him in a 9-6 game. Rafters’ Zacher then drew a walk with the bases still loaded, making it 9-7 with two outs, but Hendershot struck out Matthew Pinal to earn the save (2).

The Rafters stayed half a game back of Fond du Lac for fourth in the Great Lakes West after the loss while Royal Oak stayed tied for second in the Great Lakes East, only in a two-way tie rather than three. The two teams will run it back Friday evening at 6:35pm with Gabe Jones projected to start for the Leprechauns and Kenny Schultz for the Rafters. The game will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.