Wausau, WIS- The Wisconsin Woodchucks got a huge 14-4 win in their home opener Saturday against the La Crosse Loggers.

Mason McCoy and Jordan Zimmerman kicked the game off with back-to-back line drives up the middle, the latter of which scored McCoy. La Crosse led 2-0 after Zimmerman scored on a pair of Woodchuck errors.

It wasn’t long before the Chucks responded. Cody Hanke walked, and Ryan Day doubled in the bottom of the second, putting runners on second and third for Nick Gotta. Gotta knocked them both in on a single to left field, and the game was tied at 2-2.

After that, the Woodchucks never looked back. Wisconsin loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, and Ramsey Romano cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field, putting the Chucks up 6-2.

Wisconsin’s offensive damage continued in the next three innings. The Woodchucks put up three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Five different Woodchucks – LJ Hatch, Owen Taylor, Max Ponzurick, Ramsey Romano and Ryan Day – recorded multiple hits in the contest, and Ponzurick and Romano both had multiple RBIs.

Matt Smith put together an excellent six innings in his first start on the mound for the Woodchucks. Smith allowed just five hits, two earned runs and one walk while striking out seven.

A trio of Woodchucks relieved Smith and gave up just one run over three innings. Eli Kraus shut the door on La Crosse by striking out the side in the ninth.

The Woodchucks totaled 13 hits in the ten-run victory, their first of the season. Wisconsin faces La Crosse again tomorrow at Athletic Park at 5:05 p.m.

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The WISCONSIN WOODCHUCKS are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwood’s League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwood’s 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 120 Northwood’s League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.woodchucks.com.