Wisconsin Rapids Whoops Wausau in Doubleheader Sweep
Rafters outscore Woodchucks 22-10 in a commanding sweep
WAUSAU, Wis. – After being swept by the Lakeshore Chinooks in a pair of one-run losses, the Rafters were on the prowl head into the doubleheader today against the Wausau Woodchucks. They did not disappoint, as the Rats won both games by a score of 10-4 in game one and 12-6 in game two.
The Rats bats did not come alive in game one until the fourth inning. However, after three strong innings from starter Grant Manning, the Rafters hung a three spot on the board in the fourth. A McKinley Erves RBI double scored the first run of the day. A few pitches later, Erves came home to score on a wild pitch. An RBI single from Jacob Igawa put the Rats up 3-0.
Manning finished off his afternoon with five scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, three walks, and struck out three as well. The Rafters added four more in the top half of the sixth, including three off one swing of the bat. An E2 throwing error allowed Erves to come home to score to make a 4-0 Wisconsin Rapids lead. Two batters later, a three-run homer from Nate Nankil, his third in the Cranberry and Gold, gave the Rats a 7-0 lead. However, the Woodchucks put two on the board in the home half to make it a 7-2 game.
The Rats brought home one more in the seventh, but the Woodchucks countered as they scored two more in the home half, which brought the Rats lead to 8-4. Cael Chatham, in his first at-bat of 2022 with the Rafters, hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to put the Rafters ahead 9-4. McKinley Erves scored the 10th and final run of the game via an E7 fielding error. Alec Burnett recorded the final six outs on the mound for the Rafters, en route to a 10-4 win. Grant Manning earned his second win of 2022.
The Rats got started early in game two, as in the second at-bat Chase Call laced an RBI double into center field to bring home Brady Jurgella to put the Rats ahead 1-0. However, the Woodchucks took a 2-1 lead in the home half of the first. After a scoreless home half of the second thrown by Brandon Scott in his Rafters debut, Brendan Bobo launched a solo shot in the top of the third, his 12th of the season, to tie the game up, 2-2.
Scott retired the Woodchucks 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third. The Rats bats busted it open in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back RBI singles from Brady Jurgella and Chase Call gave the Rafters a 4-2 lead. Brendan Bobo came up to the dish two runners on, no outs, and he did not disappoint. The Cal State Fullerton Titan delivered with a three-run homer to put the Rafters ahead 7-2. Bobo’s 13th homer of 2022 tied the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters single season record for home runs.
Three runs scored in the bottom of the fourth for Wausau, but Tanner Chafin stranded the bases loaded for the Rafters. The Rafters scored another run in the top of the fifth via a wild pitch to take an 8-5 lead. Chafin threw scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth but gave up a Woodchuck run in the bottom of the seventh to make it an 8-6 game.
The Rafters answered back in the top of the eighth with another big inning. A base-clearing three-run double from Garrett Broussard gave the Rats an 11-6 lead. The next at-bat, Andrew Semo hit an RBI single in his Rafters debut to give Wisconsin Rapids a 12-6 lead. Angel Medina threw a scoreless bottom half of the eighth. Cael Chatham finished out his day on the mound, as in his Rafters debut on the mound he shut down the Woodchucks in the bottom of the ninth to ensure the 12-6 win. In his Rafters debut, Brandon Scott received his first Northwoods League win.
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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’ 28th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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 280 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 (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. 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]
