Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Four Run Fifth Inning Carries Rafters over Loggers, 7-4.

Published on June 17, 2013 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


La Crosse, WI- John Kravetz twirled seven scoreless innings and scattered six hits, as the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters downed the La Crosse Loggers, 7-4, on Monday evening at Copeland Park. The Rafters rode a four-run fifth inning to pull away from Loggers using an inning that included three hits from the Rafters five, six, and seven batters. Overall the bottom half of the Rafters attack combined for five of the teams six base hits.

The seven innings pitched by Kravetz was the second straight start by the Illinois product as he has thrown back-to-back quality starts. Kravetz has issued just one earned run in his last 14 innings pitched.

The Rafters used a combination of four arms throughout the evening to down the Loggers, as Texas Tech commit, Nick Pettus, worked a scoreless eighth inning before yielding way to Nick Maiers and JP Feyereisen in the ninth inning. Feyereisen would earn the save, his fifth of the season.

The game got out of hand early as Wisconsin Rapids struck for their first run in the top of the third inning as George Ragsdale reached on a full-count walk and scored on an RBI single by Jonathan Moroney. The RBI by Moroney was his third in his last two ballgames and came one night after Moroney produced the game-winning RBI against the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

The Rafters added two more runs in the fourth as Erik Payne led the inning off by reaching on walk. Charlie Curl then ripped a double into the left-center gap that dropped between Loggers outfielders, Eric Toole and Johnny Bekakis. The double scored Payne from first, but a throwing error by the Loggers catcher, Austin Rei, would allow Curl to score on the play, making the Rafters lead, 3-0.

Robbie Coman would lead a three-hit attack in the fifth inning that produced four Rafter runs as the Loggers defense committed three errors in the inning. Wisconsin Rapids would make them pay as the Rafters scored two runs off Logger errors that ignited the four-run fifth. The four run innings was the Rafters first inning of three of more runs since June 10 against Battle Creek.

The Rafters pitching staff would hold the Loggers offense at bay until the 9th inning when Nick Maiers allowed two singles and issued two walks before the Rafters summoned Feyereisen out of the pen. The Loggers would tag Maiers for four runs in the frame, thus ending the Rafters 18 innings scoreless streak against La Crosse that dated back to the two teams first meeting of the season, June 2.

Feyereisen would earn the save as the Stevens Point product has now closed out the last four ballgames for the Rafters. The win gave the Rafters their first three-game winning streak of the season and moved Wisconsin Rapids to within two games of .500.

The two teams will resume their home-and-home series tomorrow evening when the series shifts towards Witter Field. The meeting in Wisconsin Rapids will be the first of the year, as the first three contests the two teams have played have been at Copeland Park, with the Rafters taking two-of-three. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Fans can listen to tomorrow's game by tuning into WFHR AM 1320 as Aaron Berlin broadcasts the action from Witter Field.

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are members of the 16-team summer collegiate Northwoods League. The Rafters will play a 70 game schedule with 35 home games in 2013. Available quantities of all promotional giveaways will vary from event to event and will be available on a first come, first serve basis.  The best way to guarantee giveaway items is to purchase a 9-Game Package.  The offseason office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 17, 2013


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