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Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Rafters Advance to Semifinals After 9-1 Win over Wausau

August 17, 2022 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


Wisconsin Rapids Rafters' Cooper Robinson on the mound
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters' Cooper Robinson on the mound
(Wisconsin Rapids Rafters)

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. - The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are continuing their historic season, as they have now won their first playoff series since 2017. The Rafters defeated the Wausau Woodchucks 9-1 tonight to win the best-of-three first round series, 2-1.

Rafters starting pitcher, Cooper Robinson, was locked in from the first pitch. He and Woodchucks starting pitcher, Jace Baumann, traded scoreless frames back and forth in the first and second innings. However, the Woodchucks would strike first in the top of the third via a Chase Hug sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.

Robinson continued to roll despite being down, as he held Wausau scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. The Rats bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fifth. After a Garrett Broussard leadoff single and an E6 committed by the Woodchucks, an E1 throwing error allowed Broussard to score from second to make it a tie game at 1-1. Two batters later, with one out, Aidan Brewer crushed a second pitch fastball over the left field fence for a three-run homer to put the Rafters up 4-1. However, Wisconsin Rapids was still not done scoring. As with runners on first and second with two outs, Jacob Igawa hit the second three-run homer of the inning to bust it wide open to give the Rafters a 7-1 lead.

Robinson continued to dominate the Woodchucks, retiring six of the seven batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings. A Colin Tuft RBI single added an insurance run for the Rafters in the bottom of the seventh to make it an 8-1 lead. After Robinson surrendered a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth, he was taken out of the game. He walked off the field with Witter Field crowd on their feet giving him a standing ovation. Robinson threw three seven innings while allowing one run on three hits, four walks, and five strikeouts.

Donovan Brandl entered in relief for the Rafters in the top of the eighth, as he held Wausau scoreless. Brady Jurgella added another Rafters run in the home half via an RBI double to give Wisconsin Rapids a 9-1 lead. Brandl got the final three outs in the top of the ninth, including a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. Cooper Robinson received the win for the Rafters in his vintage postseason performance.

The Rafters (2-1) will play host to the Kalamazoo Growlers (2-0) tomorrow night at Witter Field at 6:35 pm. This one-game series will decide who will play the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League Summer Collegiate World Series. Catch all the action of tomorrow night's game on ESPN+ with Carter Gledhill or on 1320 AM/97.5 FM WFHR with Brett Loftis.




Images from this story

Wisconsin Rapids Rafters' Cooper Robinson on the mound
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters' Cooper Robinson on the mound
   



Northwoods League Stories from August 17, 2022


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