Malmin And Gassaway The Heroes
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- A night after the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (11-22) played spoiler to La Crosse, they put a big dent in the playoff hopes of the Wisconsin Woodchucks (18-13). Cullen Gassaway’s (Arkansas) walk- off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 9th gave the Rafters their second consecutive win in high drama fashion.
The game flew by in two hours and seven minutes thanks to two sterling efforts by Wisconsin Rapids starter Jon Malmin (Texas) and Wisconsin starter Kaylor Chafin (Texas A&M). Chafin lasted six innings in his first start of the season as he scattered five hits and gave up two runs (one earned). Malmin matched him pitch by pitch. The Longhorn southpaw pitched into the 9th inning while giving up two earned runs on six hits. Malmin’s one wart on his performance was his five walks up against two strikeouts. Despite the walks, Malmin was still extremely efficient as he only threw 88 pitches.
The key play came in the bottom of the 6th with the Woodchucks up 2-1. Woody Woodward (UC Santa Barabara) led off the inning with a single. Before a single pitch was even thrown to the next batter, a pickoff attempt of Woodward got away from first baseman Jake Scudder (Iowa Western). As Woodward was heading towards third, Scudder’s throw to the bag got away and allowed Woodward to score.
After Antonio Gonzales (UC Riverside) pitched out of a jam in the top of the 9th, Keelin Rasch led off the bottom half of the inning with a double off of the right field fence. Clark Eagan (Arkansas) followed with a sacrifice and set the stage for Gassaway’s game ending sacrifice fly.
The two teams will do battle again tomorrow evening in Wausau with first pitch slated for 5:05 pm CST.
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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.
