By Lance Roth

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters jumped out to an early five-run lead Tuesday night at Historic Witter Field, but a late surge from the Madison Mallards erased the deficit as the visitors claimed an 8-5 victory.

Madison completed its comeback in the sixth inning, when the Mallards broke through against Cade Queen and the Rafters bullpen. After Queen exited with the bases loaded, Colton LaFave entered in relief. The rally took off from there as Jeremy Martinez delivered a two-run double to cut the deficit to one.

Preston Yaucher followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5 before John Hadley VI delivered the decisive blow, lining a two-run single to give Madison its first lead of the night at 7-5. The Mallards added an insurance run in the eighth inning following a Wisconsin Rapids fielding error to extend the lead to 8-5.

The Rafters wasted no time putting pressure on Madison in the opening inning. Wisconsin Rapids sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs to build an early cushion. The scoring began on a wild pitch before Nico DeFazio delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Making his Rafters debut, Esteban Olazaba wasted little time making an impact, driving in a run with a base hit during the rally. Josiah Palomino followed with a run-scoring knock of his own as Wisconsin Rapids capped off a five-run first inning and seized control of the game.

Despite not adding to their run total, the Rafters continued to generate offense throughout the night, collecting 10 hits and putting runners on base in several key situations. Wisconsin Rapids, however, was unable to come through with the timely hit needed to extend its lead as Madison’s bullpen consistently worked out of trouble.

Meanwhile, Queen turned in one of his strongest outings of the season. The right-hander dominated the Mallards lineup for much of the evening, piling up eight strikeouts while helping the Rafters maintain control through the first five innings.

A bright spot for Wisconsin Rapids came in the ninth inning with the debut of Wisconsin Rapids native Gage Honeyager. Making his first appearance for his hometown team, Honeyager impressed on the mound, striking out two batters while working a scoreless frame.

The Mallards bullpen proved to be the difference, combining for 8.1 innings of scoreless relief after the explosive first inning. Heeryun Han earned the victory out of the bullpen, while Eli Hoyt recorded the save. Colton LaFave was charged with the loss for Wisconsin Rapids.

With the defeat, the Rafters fall to 3-10 on the season. Wisconsin Rapids will look to bounce back and return to the win column as the homestand continues at Historic Witter Field.

Wisconsin Rapids will aim to get back in the win column June 11 when the Battle Creek Battle Jacks come to town. First pitch at Historic Witter Field is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT.