Rafters Hold On And Split Series in Kalamazoo
KALAMAZOO, MI. – The Rafters scratched across the game’s first run at Homer Stryker Field Monday night in the early going. Mason Onate collected a two-out RBI base hit up the middle to score Kyler McIntosh.
The Growlers snagged the lead in the fourth with a three-run blast off the bat of Blake Grimmer. The second homer of the season for the Tennessee Volunteer made it 3-1. Greyson Shafer hit into a 4-6 Fielder’s Choice in the fifth that cut the deficit to just a run for Wisconsin Rapids.
The Rafters sent eight hitters to the dish in the sixth and scored four times. Kyler McIntosh’s first homer of the season gave them the lead back at 4-3, and an RBI single from Jack Mathey improved the Rafter to 6-3.
The Growlers chipped away at the deficit, adding a run in each of the sixth through eighth innings. The Rafters gathered a run in the eighth as well on another RBI base knock from Mathey. The Kent State commit’s multi-hit effort extended the Rafter lead to 7-5 at the time.
Kalamazoo’s run in the eighth made it 7-6, but the host could not recover and dropped their seventh game in the second half in front of their home crowd.
Tristin Crusenberry got the start for Wisconsin Rapids in this one. The right-hander went 3.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. Crusenberry walked two Growler hitters and struck out four on 78 pitches.
Bryson Moore followed up Crusenberry out of the bullpen and got the win. The Virginia Cavalier went 4.2 and similar to Crusenberry, allowed three runs on five hits. Moore walked one and struck out five on 71 pitches.
The ball went to Cannon Restine in the Rafter stable to collect the final three outs in the ninth. The right-hander slammed the door shut on the Growler offense and kept the one-run lead safe. Restine faced one over the minimum and punched out Gabe Spring swinging to end the contest.
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 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, over 245 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.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
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
