Wausau, Wis. – The momentum couldn’t continue for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (5-16) on Thursday as the late innings saw the Wausau Woodchucks (15-3-1) offense explode to win 17-4. The Rafters led much of the early part of the game, but things went sideways in the sixth inning as the Woodchucks scored 15 unanswered runs from that point on. Wisconsin Rapids’ Eric Harper and Jake Beauchaine each had multi-hit games with a home run, but the offense couldn’t provide enough juice to take down the ‘Chucks.

Through the early part of the game, it was a pitcher’s duel, although Wisconsin Rapids’ Beauchaine started things off with a bang by sending a two-run dinger to left off Woodchucks starter Richie Lacien (2-0) to give the Rafters the lead. The homer was Beauchaine’s fifth of the season, putting him alone in second on the Rafters this year, just one behind Junior Barajas.

A couple of scoreless innings later and the Woodchucks tied it up with a two-run shot of their own, a bomb from the bat of Noah Malone off Rafters starter Seth Spencer (2-6) which knotted the game 2-2.

Still tied into the fifth, the Rafters pulled back ahead in the top of the inning with a solo shot from Wisconsin Rapids’ Harper off Wausau’s Lacien, snagging a 3-2 advantage.

That lead extended to 4-2 in the top of the sixth when Landon Gaz roped an RBI single to center field off Wausau’s Lacien, but the score didn’t last long.

In the bottom of the sixth, the clock struck midnight on Wisconsin Rapids’ Spencer. Entering the inning having allowed just four baserunners and two hits in five innings, the Woodchucks first six batters all reached safely against Spencer to take a 5-4 lead and chase him from the game. Landon Dessart took over and after allowing the next three batters to reach, he recorded a couple of outs to escape the inning, but not before it became 7-4 Woodchucks.

Another six runs came across for Wausau in the bottom of the seventh, three on the line of Dessart and three on Rafters reliever Ashton Poole. That was followed by a four-run eighth inning for Wausau off Wisconsin Rapids’ Poole, extending the lead to 17-4.

Between the seventh and ninth innings, the Rafters didn’t manage a hit against the Woodchucks bullpen as Allen Leitner and Connor Hill scorched Wisconsin Rapids, finishing it off for the big win.

The Rafters remain two games back of the Chinooks in the Great Lakes West following the loss while Wausau now imposes a 3.5 game lead on Madison for first in the subdivision. The two teams will rematch Friday night, and the Rafters will be aiming to avoid elimination with a win at home. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. and the game will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.