Wausau, WI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (1-3) took down the Wausau Woodchucks (4-2), 8-2 on Saturday, for the first win of the 2026 campaign. The Woodchucks scored first before the Rafters scored eight unanswered, with six of the runs coming with two outs.

Wausau struck first in the bottom of the third when outfielder Brayden Mazzacano drove in Jake Berkland with a sacrifice fly. Berkland reached base with a single and was aggressive on the base paths, advancing to third on two stolen bases.

The Rafters responded in the 5th with three runs of their own. With the bases loaded, Rafters 3B Josiah Palomino drew a walk that brought in a run before outfielder Dylan Frank followed up and punched in two with a double. The Rafters drew a total of three walks in the inning, assisting in the three-run frame.

In the 7th, the Rafters tagged three more thanks to an RBI double from Dylan Frank and SS Jax LeGrand capping off the frame with a two-run single.

RBIs from Josiah Palomino and Dylan Frank in the 9th would add some cushion for the Rafters, extending their lead to 8-1.

Left hander Sam Neal made his Rafters debut and was lights out. Neal allowed four hits and just one earned run across seven innings of work, striking out six in the win. Spencer Webb came out of the pen and closed the game, giving up one earned run over the final two innings.

Woodchucks pitcher Jackson King received the loss after being tagged for three runs in 4.2 innings of work.

The Rafters will host the Madison Mallards on Sunday before hitting the road for an eight-game road trip. First pitch is slated for 1:05pm at Witter Field.