The Rafters dominated game two with a 9-0 shutout victory
Battle Creek, MI – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (25-29) earned a doubleheader split with the Battle Creek Bombers (18-35) Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 defeat and 9-0 victory.
Game One
Sunday’s game resumed in the top of the third after being postponed Saturday night due to heavy rain in south-central Michigan. Battle Creek led Wisconsin Rapids 3-2.
Billy Black (Columbia) started pitching for the Rafters in the resumed game. The righty was fantastic, pitching five innings of one run baseball.
After the Bombers scratched across a run in the bottom of the fourth the Rafters could not muster a run. Nine hits were spoiled as the Rafters grounded into three inning ending double plays over the course of the nine innings. Sterling Hayes (Creighton) and Marco Castillo (Claremont-McKenna) led the Rafters in the game with two hits apiece.
Game Two
Wisconsin Rapids got out to an early lead in the seven inning game two. Kyle Teel (Virginia) making his 2021 debut on Sunday as a Rafter had an RBI single as part of a two run first inning. The Rafters blew things open in the third inning with three runs. Ben Swords (Webster) had an RBI single and Addie Burrow (Virginia) added a two RBI single.
Ben Schoneman (Colorado School of Mines) dominated from the pitcher’s mound. He struck out a season high five batters over five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits with no walks.
The Rafters added an exclamation point to the victory with four runs in the sixth inning. McKinley Erves (LaGrange) had a two RBI single as part of a three hit and three run game. Couper Cornblum (Wichita State) also added a two RBI single as part of a three hit and three RBI game.
The shutout was Wisconsin Rapids’ first since June 23rd. Overall they limited Battle Creek to just three baserunners over the seven innings. The Rafters offense finished with 12 singles out of 13 hits.
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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]
