Ashwaubenon, Wis. – The offense came alive for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (6-17) Saturday afternoon as they took down the Green Bay Rockers (14-9) on the road with an 11-4 win. The Rafters scored all 11 runs in the first five innings and cruised behind a quality start from Trevor Moeck (2-1). Moeck’s quality start was the second quality start for the Rafters this season while they also saw strong offense. Luke Skinner went 3-4 with a double and homer while both Lachlan Maude and Kerim Orucevic had their first Rafters homers, Orucevic’s as part of a five-hit game.
Orucevic was the one who got things started, sending a solo shot over the right field wall in the top of the first off Green Bay starter Mack Crowley (0-2) to give the Rafters the lead. The homer was his first as a Rafter even though he had come close a couple times over the past few games.
“It definitely felt good,” Orucevic said after the game. “I think I’m figuring out a better process in my preparation at the plate now.”
His hot start was followed by an RBI single by Landon Gaz, extending the Rafters lead to 2-0 in the top of the first.
Wisconsin Rapids’ Moeck struck out all three batters in the bottom of the first, which allowed Luke Skinner to make it 3-0 Rafters in the top of the second with a leadoff homer off Green Bay’s Crowley.
The offense kept pace in the top of the third, adding another two runs on Green Bay reliever Sam Brummund on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Madden Ocko and Gaz, growing the lead to 5-0.
Green Bay’s Aidan Kuni responded with a two-run blast off Wisconsin Rapids’ Moeck in the bottom of the third, but the Rafters added even more in the top of the fourth. In the inning, Lachlan Maude led off with the Rafters’ third homer of the game and Orucevic followed later in the frame with his second homer of the afternoon, a two-run blast to make it 8-2.
“I was kind of just trying to do what I’ve been doing the last few days, which has been smoking the ball, but it’s just been right at people,” Orucevic said. “I just had a feeling today would fall more.”
Another three runs scored for the Rafters in the top of the fifth, all on the line of Green Bay reliever Avery Duncan. A pair of wild pitches scored two runs while Hiroto Kobayashi took a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to make it 11-2.
From there, the Rafters sailed to the finish line, not needing any more offense to claim the victory.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Rafters finally took out Moeck, finishing his day with six strikeouts in six innings while allowing just three hits and the two runs. AJ Buenaseda took over for the Rafters and struggled with location early, allowing a pair of runs to come across, but found his rhythm at the end to work out of the inning 11-4.
Jack Wiessinger relieved Wisconsin Rapids’ Buenaseda in the eighth and left the bases loaded by working out of the jam.
In the top of the ninth the Rockers turned to catcher Brayden Buchanan on the mound, making his first appearance as a pitcher, but he pitched well, allowing just a double to Wisconsin Rapids’ Orucevic and a walk before working out of the inning. The double from Orucevic was his third extra-base hit and the Rafters’ ninth extra-base hit of the game, a season high.
Wiessinger came back out for the Rafters in the bottom of the ninth, and although he allowed a two-out single, he was able to close it out and finish the game with Wisconsin Rapids on top.
The win was the Rafters third at Capital Credit Union Park, now 3-1 there against the Rockers. The two teams will rematch at Witter Field next, where the Rockers have won all five games this season. That game starts at 3:05 P.M. Sunday afternoon and it will be broadcast for video on NWL+ and for radio on WFHR 97.5 FM/1320 AM.