Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Fireworks from Neary Not Enough

Published on June 9, 2012 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


Wausau, WI - The Rafters (5-5) fell back to .500 Friday in Wausau, losing the rubber-match of the three game series in walk-off fashion 3-2 to the Wisconsin Woodchucks (6-4). The Rafters have lost 7 straight in Wausau and are now just 1-4 in road contests.

The Rafters got a great start from Ben Heller (JR, Olivet Nazarene Univ.) in his second-straight no decision. The right-hander, who was pumping in fastballs at 94 mph on the Athletic Park radar gun, threw seven innings, tying Cole Webb (SO, Coffeyville CC) for the longest Rafters start of the year. He hit a batter and allowed four hits but was otherwise sparkling. The native of Whitewater, WI fanned nine batters, allowed only four hits, and did not walk a Woodchuck.

Unfortunately for Rafters fans, two of the four hits came back-to-back and three of them came in one inning. Gage Green doubled to lead off the fourth inning for Wisconsin. Brendon Hayden followed with a single to knock in the first run. Two batters and two outs later, Heller was a strike away from getting out of the jam when Chevas Numata extended his hitting streak to eight games making it 2-0.

The Rafters scraped a run on a pair of singles from Austin Neary (FR, Western Carolina Univ.) and Josh Cyr (JR, Univ. of North Alabama) and a wild pitch cut the lead in half.

In his first day in a Woodchuck uniform, Pascal Paul was very solid for Wisconsin. The freshman from NJCAA champion Iowa Western CC tossed six innings of one run ball for the Woodchucks. Reliever Mason Pingel was not as dominant. He escaped trouble in the seventh, stranding a runner at third. In the eighth, however, Austin Neary blasted his first homer, a no-doubter to left field, as the first batter in the inning to tie the game at two. Neary was a perfect four-for-four with three singles to go along with his first long-ball. He scored both runs in the game as well.

The Woodchucks rallied in the late innings for the second night in a row though. After last night's eighth inning magic, the Woodchucks won in a walk-off Friday on a double by Jake Jelmini, his first hit of the season. It was the Woodchucks 3rd walk-off of the week, and they are now an impressive 4-1 at home.

Pingel (1-0) got the victory, his first decision of the year. Despite pretty good numbers thus far, Skyler Debilzen (0-2) took the loss in his sixth appearance.

The Rafters (5-5), who are also 4-1 at home, play host to the Lakeshore Chinooks (6-4) at Witter Field tomorrow night for Element Mobile Hawaiian Night. First pitch at 6:05 pm.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 9, 2012


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