Woodchucks Sweep Double-Header Against Rafters
Woodchucks score a total of 25 runs in two games on Wednesday
Wisconsin Rapids, WI – For the second time this season, Wisconsin (23-32, 8-12) swept Wisconsin Rapids (38-17, 11-8) in a double-header after winning 15-5 and 10-9 on Wednesday. In the second game, the Woodchucks walked off in the bottom of the 12th to win the season series 5-3 over the Rafters.
In the first game of a day-night double header, the Woodchucks earned a 15-5 win over Wisconsin Rapids at Witter Field, tallying 17 hits and recording a season high for runs in a game.
All nine Woodchuck starters recorded a hit, led by Tristan Clarke who finished the day 3-5 with a two-run home run and three runs scored. Jake Guenther hit a home run for the Rafters, but Woodchuck hitters had their way with the Rafter pitching staff throughout the game.
To lead off the game, the Woodchucks offense scored four runs in the first inning on five hits. Jackson Owens knocked in two runs on a triple while Hunter Coleman and Yeager Taylor tallied RBI singles to put the Chucks up 4-0.
Tristan Clarke extended the Woodchucks lead in the second, blasting a two-run shot over the wall in left-center. A one-out walk of James Davison set up Clarke, who hit his second home run of the year.
The Woodchucks batted around in the third inning, scoring four runs on five hits to extend the lead to 10-0. RBI hits from Stevie Mangrum, Nolan Ryan and Coleman along with a RBI ground-out from Davison plated the four Woodchuck runs.
Wisconsin Rapids got one back on an RBI single from Bryson Stott, but the Rafters stranded the bases loaded when Woodchuck starter Zach Siggelkow (2-0) struck out Jake Guenther to end the threat.
The Woodchucks scored two in the fifth and three in the seventh to tally their highest run total in a game this season at 15.
Jake Guenther led off the sixth inning with a home run to right-center field. The Rafters added three runs in the eighth, highlighted by an RBI double from Charlie McConnell.
Grant Gunderson (0-1) picks up the loss for the Rafters in his first start. Siggelkow earned the win for Wisconsin, and moved to 2-0 on the season in five appearances.
Game Two:
Wisconsin jumped out to a fast lead once again, scoring in the first inning on an RBI double by Hunter Coleman to put the Woodchucks on top 1-0.
Dustin Woodcock wasted no time in tying the game for the Rafters, blasting a solo homer in the top of the second to even the game at one.
To take the lead for the first time, the Rafters were led off in the third by a Jared Nelson single. McConnell followed with a single of his own, and Stott drilled a single back up the middle to score both runners and give the Rafters a 3-1 lead on Woodchucks starter Daniel Sprinkle.
With one out in the fourth, Guenther walked and was followed by a Will Davis single. A passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet, and Nelson came through with a two-RBI single to give the Rafters a 5-1 lead.
The Woodchucks struck back in the bottom of the fourth when Ahdonis Lao led off with a walk. Chad Fleischmen singled and Jordan Santos was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nolan Ryan walked to score a run, and James Davison roped a two-RBI single to pull the Woodchucks within 5-4. Clarke, Mangrum, and Coleman each drove base hits to bring in four more runs and give Wisconsin an 8-5 lead through four.
The Rafters got a run back in the fifth on a Woodcock RBI single to score Stott, who singled to start the inning. Two errors by the Rafters defense in the bottom of the inning gave Clarke runners at the corners, and he delivered for a single to score another Woodchuck run and push the game to 9-6.
With a man on base, Stott continued to deliver for the Rafters, drilling a base hit up the middle for his third hit of the game, scoring a run and pulling the Rafters within 9-7 after six.
Nelson led off the eighth for the Rafters with his second walk of the game, and McConnell drilled a double to scored Nelson and pull the game within a run. With McConnell at third, Stott drove a ball into center for a sacrifice fly to tie the game at nine.
With the winning run at second for Wisconsin in the bottom of the ninth, Nick Avila struck out Ryan to end the threat and send the game to extras.
It took until the bottom of the 12th for the Woodchucks to walk-off as Clarke grounded one past Stott at short to score the winning run and give Wisconsin the 10-9 win.
Stott finished with three hits and a season-high four runs batted in. It is his third three-hit game in the last four days.
The Rafters return home to face Madison from Witter Field. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m., with the gates opening at 6:05 p.m. Coverage can be found on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network starting at 6:50 p.m.
###
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 180 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.greenbaybullfrogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.
