Rafters Winning Streak Grows to Five Games
Brendan Bobo leaves the yard twice, including a mammoth game-winning homer in 9th
MEQUON, Wis. – As a wise man once said, “You can never make a first impression for a second time.” Brendan Bobo made a very good first impression as he hit two homers in his Rafters debut to power the Rats to a 6-4 win over the Lakeshore Chinooks in Mequon, WI.
The Rats bats started early tonight, as in the top of the first Jacob Igawa knocked in Tommy Barth for the Rafters first run of the night. Marco Castillo drove in Chris Conniff to make it a 2-0 score at the conclusion of the first. Nathan “Hammer” Hemmerling was perfect through his three innings to start the ballgame. He struck out four Chinooks along the way while only throwing 33 pitches.
Third baseman Brendan Bobo hit his first homer as a Rafter in the top of the fourth to give the Rats a 3-0 lead. Grant Manning assumed pitching duties in the bottom half of the fourth and picked up right where Hammer left off. Manning threw two perfect innings in the fourth and fifth, as the Rafters had a team perfect game through five innings. In the sixth, Jack Rogers pinch hit for Harry Owen as he roped a double off the right-center fielder wall that brought Seth Stroh home to give the Rafters a 4-0 lead. Payton Sanderson broke up the perfect game in the bottom of the sixth, as the Chinooks struck for their first run in the bottom of the sixth.
After a scoreless top of the seventh for the Rats, Jacob James assumed the pitching rubber for the Rafters and the Chinooks assumed the scoring duties. They scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Rafters still exited the inning with a 4-3 lead. Wisconsin Rapids was held scoreless again in the top of the eighth, as the Chinooks were able to tie in the bottom half at 4-4. No worries for the Rats, as after a Jack Rogers leadoff walk in the top of the ninth Brendan Bobo launched a baseball that landed back in Wisconsin Rapids to give the Rafters a 6-4 lead. Preston Howey picked up the save after a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, and Josh Howitt picked up the win.
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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]
