Mequon, Wis. – A three-run comeback was the second straight win on the road for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (6-9) who won 5-3 over the Lakeshore Chinooks (4-11) Monday night. It was the first time this season the Rafters won back-to-back games, and they built a two-game lead on the Chinooks in the standings because of it. Wisconsin Rapids was anchored by their two pitchers on the night, Drew Thompson and Zach Crotchfelt (1-0). Thompson pitched five innings of three-run ball while Crotchfelt set a Rafters season high with seven strikeouts in four shutout innings.
Nate Gray started the game lights out for the Chinooks, blanking the Rafters in his five innings of work.
Lakeshore took the early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring on an RBI single from Tyler Preece off Wisconsin Rapids’ Thompson and making it 1-0.
Thompson began to find his footing after that, but the Chinooks doubled their lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Drew Reynolds’ solo round-tripper. Thompson stayed for the fifth inning, but allowed one more run on Jacob Kowes’ RBI sac fly, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Rafters finally got to face a new pitcher in the top of the sixth and made it hurt, scoring three runs to tie it up. Erik Parker first picked up an RBI off Chinooks reliever Bobby Perebzak before Hiroto Kobayashi had an RBI single that sent home two runs on a throwing error from Lakeshore.
Zach Crotchfelt relieved Wisconsin Rapids’ Thompson to start the sixth and struck out two in a scoreless frame before the Rafters took the lead in the top of the seventh. Madden Ocko picked up an RBI single and Noah Ruiz stole home off Chinooks reliever Jacob Jacome (0-1), giving the Rafters a 5-3 advantage.
Neither team scored from there as Crotchfelt struck out all three batters in the seventh and added two more between the eighth and ninth to finish the game and earn the win.
The Rafters now sit just one game back of the Green Bay Rockers for fourth in the Great Lakes West while they built a two-game cushion over the Chinooks for sixth. The two teams will rematch Tuesday night at 6:35pm from Mequon. The game will be televised on NWL+ and broadcast for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.