By Luc Carter

KALAMAZOO, Mich – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters made the long trip to Kalamazoo for the first of 4 games in
Michigan this week. The Rafters entered Tuesday’s game with a 1-5 record squaring off against
the 7-2 Kalamazoo Growlers who are off to their best start to a season in franchise history.

With head coach Grant Stevens still with the University of Oklahoma as the Sooners advanced to
their super regional, and Interim head coach Jake Hom away from the team for this trip to
Michigan to attend his brother’s wedding, Assistant coach Dom Bricker is thrusted into the role
of head coach for the next four games, making his professional debut as a head coach.

The Rafters wasted no time as Jax LeGrand would blast a solo home run on the second pitch of
the game for his first Home Run of the season. Later in the inning, after a single and two walks,
Erick Soto would be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to put the Rafters up 2-0 in the top of
the first.

Cade Queen started on the mound for the Rafters today. He would walk the first two batters of the
game, but then Bricker would call for a mound meeting to settle Queen down. Bricker’s
discussion worked as Queen would bounce back to get the next two batters to fly out, and get out of
the inning only giving up one run on a sacrifice fly.

Growlers starting pitcher Crittendon would have to leave the game after throwing 35 pitches in
the first inning due to the Northwoods League rule. The Rafters kept the bats hot in the second
inning against Logan Cotton as Jax LeGrand would pick up his second hit of the day and then
steal second base to get into scoring position for Zach Gingrich, who would lace a double off the
center field wall to put the Rafters up 3-1. The next batter, Nico DeFazio, would get aggressive,
lining the first pitch into center field to put the Rafters up 4-1.

DeFazio would pick up a second RBI in the 4th inning, when he would ground into a fielders
choice with the bases loaded to score Jax LeGrand, and then Dylan Frank would score on a
throwing error from Growlers second baseman Landon Stewart to extend the Rafters lead to five
with the score 6-1.

Queen would finish his day with five innings pitched, three hits allowed, four walks, eight strikeouts and two
earned runs after the Growlers would score one run on a wild pitch in the 5th inning.

Braden Burness would be the first out of the bullpen for the Rafters, and he was on his game
today. He faced the minimum across two innings, striking out five Growlers, all swinging.

Erick Soto would lead off the top of the 7th inning with a solo shot to the opposite field, his first
home run of the year to make it a 7-2 ballgame.

Bricker turned to Blaine Davis, the submarine throwing reliever, to get the final six outs and he
did just that, sitting down six of the nine batters he faced giving up no runs and striking out three to give
the Rafters their second win of the season by a score of 7-2.

The player of the game was Gingrich, who finished the day 3-3 with two walks, reaching base
safely all five times he stepped up to the plate.

The Rafters will be back in action tomorrow at 10:05 EST (9:05 CST) for game two against the
Growlers. Kade Irons will make his first start. Irons has not given up a run in 4.2 innings pitched
in relief this summer.