Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – It was a tough day for fans of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (2-10) Friday night as they lost both legs of the doubleheader to the Green Bay Rockers (8-5). The first game ended 12-8 as the Rafters pitching couldn’t handle a hot Rockers offense, while they dropped the second game 7-1, ending it after six innings due to rain. Junior Barajas had a pair of homers on the day while Jake Beauchaine went 3-5, reaching base seven times.
In the first game, the bats came alive for Green Bay in the top of the third, scoring five runs on Rafters starter Kenny Schultz (0-3) to take a 5-0 lead.
The Rafters followed with runners on second and third and only one out, but the game was suspended mid-inning as the rain came and made the field unplayable.
The game resumed in the third inning Friday afternoon, but the Rafters couldn’t keep the momentum.
In the top of the fourth, the Rockers added three more runs on Rafters reliever AJ Buenaseda, but the Rafters responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-1.
Wisconsin Rapids’ Buenaseda turned it around in the fifth, but still allowed one run to come across to make it 9-1.
From there, the Rafters gained the momentum, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-run shot from Rafters catcher Junior Barajas off Green Bay reliever Keaton Baird (1-0).
After a scoreless sixth for the Rockers, Wisconsin Rapids cut the deficit to 9-5 in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double from Eric Harper and RBI single from Madden Ocko off Green Bay’s Baird.
The Rockers got back on track in the top of the seventh, sending home a run off Wisconsin Rapids’ Buenaseda to make it 10-5.
That was followed by a two-run bottom of the seventh where Kerim Orucevic and Carson McEntire each had an RBI off Green Bay reliever Mac Yarbrough to cut the lead to 10-7.
Despite the momentum, the Rafters couldn’t hold back the Rockers, who scored two more in the top of the eighth off Wisconsin Rapids reliever Preston Steiner, extending the lead back to 12-7.
The Rafters were able to work one back in the bottom of the eighth on Junior Barajas’ second home run of the game, making it 12-8. That was the first time this season a Rafters player had multiple homers in a game and put him in the team lead with six home runs in just 12 games. His six homers also tie him for second in the Great Lakes division this season.
Even after the dinger, the Rafters couldn’t get momentum to finish the comeback and left a runner on third in the ninth inning to complete the game.
In the second game, Wisconsin Rapids took the early lead with an RBI single from Madden Ocko off Green Bay starter Steve Marhefke (1-0) to make it 1-0, but that was all the Rafters would score.
The Rockers responded in the top of the second with three runs off Rafters starter Tyler Pechetti (0-2), including a two-run homer from Eli Selga, which made it 3-1.
Green Bay followed with a four-run fourth, making it 7-1 behind a couple of errors and RBIs.
It was shutout baseball from that point on, with Marhefke going through five complete innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, Gavin Brummond was set to take over for the Rockers, but rain took over and forced the game to be completed with the Rockers winning it 7-1.
The Rafters have now lost nine in a row and hope to get back on the right track Saturday against the Wausau Woodchucks, who they’ll host for a two-game series. First pitch on Saturday 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.