Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – It was a split doubleheader for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (8-14) Tuesday night as they finished up the previously suspended game from Monday evening and took a victory in the second game against the Traverse City Pit Spitters (10-12). The first one went to the 12th inning after resuming at the start of the 11th to begin the day. The Pit Spitters scored six in the 12th to claim the win in Game 1 13-9 but the Rafters had a six-run comeback in the seventh to win 12-8 in Game 2.
The first game was a long one that saw the Rafters and Pit Spitters mirror each other inning-by-inning until the 12th. It started with a shutout first inning before the offenses exploded for five runs each in the second.
In the top of the second, Traverse City had back-to-back RBI singles from Aaron Piasecki and Brandon Sanchez off Rafters starter Noah Marschke to take a 3-0 lead before Adam Broski made it 5-0 with a two-RBI single off Wisconsin Rapids reliever Kameron Douglas.
The Rafters started their comeback in the bottom of the second with Jack Guerrero’s two-RBI double off Pit Spitters starter Nic Mirabella before Mason Onate had an RBI double of his own to make it 5-3. Wisconsin Rapids’ Gunnar Myro followed with a two-RBI single off Mirabella to knot the game at 5-5.
From there, it was shutout frame after shutout frame, still tied at five into the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, the Rafters turned to Ashton Poole, but he allowed the go-ahead run to score on Nathanael Coupet’s RBI single before he worked out of the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Rafters responded with their own RBI with Madden Ocko tying the game 6-6 on a two-out double off Pit Spitters closer Cooper McMullen.
Heading into the 10th, the Rafters looked for Alejandro Morales (0-2) to lock it down, but after Gunnar Myro nailed the zombie runner at home on a throw from center field, Morales walked the go-ahead run home with two outs.
In the bottom of the inning Mason Onate was the one to come up clutch, picking up an RBI single off Ricky Kidd with one out in the inning to make it 7-7.
Kidd finally worked out of the inning after the Rafters had the winning run on third with one out, but a lightning and rain delay between frames suspended the game until Tuesday night.
Tuesday evening saw a new opportunity for the Rafters after holding Traverse City scoreless in the 11th inning, but the Rafters stranded the walk-off run at third base with one out once again.
Into the 12th still tied 7-7, the Pit Spitters tacked on six runs across three Rafters relievers, claiming a 13-7 lead into the bottom of the frame.
The Rafters fought back with two runs of their own, but left one on when Adam McKelvey (1-2) was able to finish the game with a 13-9 win.
The second game saw the Rafters fall in an early hole, where the Pit Spitters carried over the momentum before Wisconsin Rapids swiped it back. The Pit Spitters scored two runs in the first inning, one run in the third, and two runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead before the Rafters got on the board.
From there, the Pit Spitters took a 7-1 lead before the Rafters mounted a comeback, scoring six runs in the seventh inning and five runs in the eighth inning to claim a 12-7 lead. The Pit Spitters added one run in the ninth, but Brent Gallegos worked out of the inning to finish it.
The Rafters turn their attention to the leaders in the Great Lakes West and will host the Madison Mallards for the first of four straight games against the subdivisional opponent. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. and will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.