By Luc Carter

BATTLE CREEK, Mich — It was a rainy day in Battle Creek with showers all afternoon leaving the
status of game 2 of this series between the 2-7 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and 7-5 Battle Creek
Battle Jacks. The game was scheduled to begin at 7:05 P.M. After a 2 hour and 25 minute delay
the first pitch would finally be thrown at 9:30 P.M.

The Rafters stayed ready and did not let the delay get to them as Carter Bennett and Erick Soto
would get after Battle Creek’s starting pitcher Ian Junkin both singling in the first 2 at bats of the
day. Then Zach Gingrich would be hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junkin would not be able to
find his command and he would hit Mikey Boyd as well with the bases loaded to bring in the
first run of the game. With Junkin reeling Harrison Engskov would come up to the plate and hit a
hard line drive over the head of Dayne Wimberly in right field for a double to bring in Soto and
Gingrich putting the Rafters up 3-0 in the first inning.

The Battle Jacks responded in the bottom half of the first after a leadoff walk and single allowed
by Rafters starter Sam Neal. The Battle Jacks would use 2 productive outs from Wimberly and
AJ Lucas to score two runs and cut the deficit to one.

The Rafters would get one of those runs back in the top of the 2nd when Erick Soto would
ground into a 4-6-3 double play with runners on the corners to bring in Jake Zehner from third
who led the inning off with a single.

The Rafters would run into trouble in the bottom of the 4th. Wimberly and Lucas both singled
off Sam Neal to start the inning and a successful double steal would place them both in scoring
position. Jake Steadman would come through with the third consecutive hit to start the inning
bringing in 2 runs to tie the game.

That marked the end of the day for Neal who finished with 3 innings pitched, 4 earned runs on 4
hits and 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Spencer Webb came into the game to relieve Neal with a runner
on first and nobody out. Stedman would attempt to steal second but Soto would gun him down
for the first out and Webb would get the last 2 outs to end the 4th.

It did not take the Rafters long to strike back. In the top of the 5th Jax Legrand would come
through with his 8th RBI of the season driving in Boyd from second to retake the lead 5-4.
Spencer Webb held it down for the Rafters through the 6th inning keeping the game 5-4 through
3 innings of work in which he struck out 7 Battle Jacks. In the 6th inning Garrett Mcguigan
would come in to relieve Webb. With 1 out in the inning and a runner on second base Mcguigan
would strike out Brendan Thompson but the pitch was dropped and Soto had to throw down to first. His throw was on target for the out but Payton Bookwalter the runner on second took off for third and Gingrich would make a throwing error trying to nab him at third which allowed
Bookwalter to score and tie the game 5-5.

Nikolas Haas would shut the Battle Jacks down in the bottom of the 8th which sent the game to
the top of the ninth tied 5-5. Engskov, who had already doubled once in the game, led off the
inning. Facing a new pitcher, Joey Ross, Engskov would line the first pitch of the inning down
the right field line for a leadoff double. After a wild pitch moved him up to third, Nico Defazio
would hit a deep fly ball to center field which was far enough for Engskov to tag up from 3rd
base and score the go ahead run.

Braden Burness came into the game with a save opportunity in the bottom of the 9th with the
score 6-5 Rafters. He struck out the first 2 batters of the inning on just 7 pitches and would then
get Thompson to pop out in foul territory to end the game. The final out took place at 12:55 A.M
EST.

The Rafters improved to 3-7 with Haas earning the win and Burness earning the save and Ross
earning the loss.

The player of the game was Harrison Engskov who went 2-3 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and scored
the winning run.

The Rafters will be back in Wisconsin tomorrow but still on the road starting a 2 game weekend
series with the Wausau Woodchucks who the Rafters are 1-1 against this season. Tristin
Crusenberry will start on the mound tomorrow. He enters tomorrow’s matchup with a 0-1 record
and a 3.60 ERA.