Rafters Invade Rabbit Hole in 7-2 Win in Kokomo
Solid pitching and timely hitting move Rafters to 26-5
KOKOMO, INDIANA – As Dorothy said in The Wizard of OZ, “There is no place like home.” However, after a 4-1 road trip, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters may be rethinking this light-hearted sentiment. Wisconsin Rapids beat the Kokomo Jackrabbits 4-2 tonight for their 26th win of 2022.
The Rafters were held scoreless in the top of the first after a Ben Ross leadoff single. Rafters starter, Nick Torres, shut down Kokomo in the bottom half of the first 1-2-3. However, the Rats bats came alive in the top of the second. Seth Stroh hit a ground-rule RBI double to give the Rafters their first run and lead of the night, 1-0. Aidan Brewer hit an RBI single in the next at-bat, and then a Stone Miyao RBI sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 ballgame. Torres threw two more scoreless innings in the bottom halves of the second and third to end his night. He only gave up two hits, one walk, and struck out two.
The Rafters scored two more runs in the fourth via an RBI sacrifice fly from Aidan Brewer and an RBI single from Stone Miyao to put Wisconsin Rapids up 5-0. Josh Howitt entered the game in relief for the Rafters in the home half of the fourth and threw a scoreless frame. He threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, but then Kokomo struck in the sixth. A Tucker Platt RBI single brought the first run across for the Jackrabbits to make it a 5-1 game. The end of Howitt’s line was three innings of one run baseball on allowing one walk and striking out two.
Ben Adams threw the bottom half of the seventh for the Rafters, as he allowed one more run (unearned) to score for the Jackrabbits to make it 5-2. Cooper Robinson threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Rafters while giving up no hits and only allowing one walk. The Rats bats woke back up in the top of the ninth, as a two-run single off the bat of Garrett Broussard gave the Rafters a 7-2 lead. Preston Howey threw a 1-2-3 bottom half of the ninth to secure the win for Wisconsin Rapids. Howitt earned the win, his third of 2022. Ben Ross, Harry Owen, and Seth Stroh all had multi-hit games at the plate, with Ross leading the charge with a three-hit night.
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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]
