Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The brooms came out Monday night as the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (13-22) claimed both games of a doubleheader against the Madison Mallards (19-15). The first game was broken up by a rain delay, but featured offense on both sides of it, finishing 12-9 in the seven innings. Game 2 was the opposite, with the Rafters winning a pitcher’s duel 3-1 which came down to the last at-bat. Between the two games, Mason Onate went 5-8 while Madden Ocko was 4-4, helping lead the team’s offense to victories.
The offense started early for Wisconsin Rapids in Game 1, but not before the Mallards took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Mikey Bell’s RBI single off Rafters starter Zach Crotchfelt.
Wisconsin Rapids responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, snatching a 2-1 lead on Ocko’s two-RBI single off Madison starter Charlie West.
The lead grew to 4-1 in the bottom of the second when Wisconsin Rapids added another two runs on Onate’s RBI double and Noah Ruiz’s sac fly off Madison’s West.
The Mallards didn’t duck out of the competition yet though, getting two runs on Mikey Bell’s RBI double and Michael Lippe’s RBI single off Wisconsin Rapids’ Crotchfelt to make it 4-3.
Despite the runs from the visitors, the Rafters were able to keep the momentum alive, adding three runs in the bottom of the third on Madison reliever Keith Davis to make it 7-3. It started with Hiroto Kobayashi’s bases-loaded walk from Davis before Chris Diaz picked up a single off Mallards bullpen arm Cayden Baker, sending home two inherited runners.
The runs kept coming for Madison, scoring one on Liam Moreno’s RBI off Wisconsin Rapids’ reliever Brennan Cohen in the top of the fourth, then three more in the top of the fifth on Jafet Martinez thanks to Lippe and Noah Sheffield’s homers which knotted it 7-7.
The game entered a delay after the fifth but returned to action an hour and 20 minutes later. Madison scored twice immediately after the return on Rafters pitcher Anthony Mateo (2-2) with Mikey Bell smashing a two-run shot to give the Mallards a 9-7 lead.
Madison’s Brayden Gilson took over for two batters and allowed two hits in the bottom of the sixth, including Ruiz’s RBI double to make it 9-8. Joe Husak (0-3) relieved Gilson after that, allowing a game-tying RBI double from Pat Costin before Hiroto Kobayashi had a three-RBI double to give them a 12-9 lead.
Tony Torres took the bump for Wisconsin Rapids in the seventh and went three up, three down, earning his fourth save of the season and locking down the victory for the Rafters.
Game 2 was much the opposite of Game 1, partially thanks to Espn Simpson’s four innings of one-run ball.
The Rafters took the lead in the second inning of the second game on JJ Garcia’s sacrifice fly off Madison starter Michael Yeager, but the advantage wouldn’t stay.
In the top of the fourth, it was knotted at 1-1 when the Mallards scored their only run of the game, a sacrifice fly from Carson Hansen.
A response was immediate from Wisconsin Rapids, with JJ Garcia launching a solo shot to left field off Mallards reliever Merritt Jay (2-3) to give the edge to the Rafters 2-1.
That was followed in the bottom of the fifth inning by Pat Costin’s RBI double off Madison’s Jay, extending the gap to 3-1.
Even though the Rafters only held a slight lead, it was all they’d need, thanks to shutout innings from Alejandro Morales (1-3) and Cannon Restine to send it to the seventh. In the top of the seventh, Kameron Douglas came out of the bullpen, and his scoreless inning was enough for the save (1) and the Rafters win.
The second half of the season comes up next, with the Rafters hoping to claim the crown for an automatic playoff spot after Green Bay won the subdivision in the first half. The Rafters will take on the Dock Spiders to get things rolling, with first pitch in Fond du Lac on Tuesday scheduled for 6:35 P.M. The game will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.