Loves Park, Ill. – A late comeback from the Rockford Rivets (13-14) couldn’t stop the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (10-19) Tuesday night as they took down the hosts 7-6. The win marked their third in the last five games and brings their road record to 6-8 on the season. The Rafters saw multi-hit games from four different batters while the bullpen combined for five, two-run innings.

After a scoreless first, the Rivets got on the board, seeing the first five batters reach base and taking a 2-0 lead before Rafters starter Kenny Schultz worked out of the frame.

The Rafters responded with five runs in the top of the third, scoring on a passed ball, a two-RBI double from Jack Guerrero, a wild pitch, and an RBI single from Hiroto Kobayashi off Rockford reliever George Gouriotis to claim a 5-2 advantage.

Another two runs came off Wisconsin Rapids’ Schultz in the bottom of the third when Cade Climie homered and Ty Waid picked up an RBI single to cut the Rafters lead to 5-4.

The lead grew to 6-4 quickly after that, with Rafters’ Madden Ocko hitting a sacrifice fly off Rockford’s Porter Conn in the top of the fourth.

The score stayed put through the end of the fifth, but a near-hour-and-a-half rain delay halted the game before the sixth. Returning to play, Jack O’Brasky took over for the Rafters in the bottom of the sixth and pitched a shutout frame.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Rivets tied the game back up thanks to Adison Worthman’s two-RBI double off O’Brasky, making it a 6-6 game.

Neither team scored in the eighth, but in the top of the ninth, it was Kobayashi who came up clutch for the Rafters, picking up an RBI single off Rockford reliever Ben Catrambone (2-3) to give them a 7-6 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Wisconsin Rapids turned to Tony Torres to close it out, and he finished off the Rivets one, two, three to earn his third save of the season.

With the win, the Rafters moved ahead of the Lakeshore Chinooks in the Great Lakes West, while the Rivets drop back below .500. The two teams finish the season series split 2-2. Next up, the Rafters head to Royal Oak to take on the Leprechauns for a two-game series. First pitch for Wednesday’s game 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.