Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Rafters Chop Down Loggers

May 31, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


Wisconsin Rapids, WI - The Rafters proved Thursday night that they are a different team than a year ago, walloping the La Crosse Loggers 12-3.

Unlike the opener, when the Rafters fell behind quickly 6-0, the Rafters, behind Cole Webb (SO, Coffeyville CC), cruised through the first three top innings. In the bottom of the third, the Rafters took their first lead of the year. Aaron Jones (JR, Winston Salem State Univ.), picked up his first RBI of 2012, scoring Brandon Hohl (JR, Univ. of Illinois) on a single off of Loggers' starter Jesse Holiday. Three pitches later, Alex Bacon (SO, Univ. of North Florida), crushed a ball over the left field fence, his second long ball in two games, plating Jones to give the Rafters a 3-0 lead.

With the lead, Webb took over. The right-hander faced only one over the minimum through the first six innings. It took an underthrown pickoff attempt and another ensuing poor throw to get the Loggers their first run. All-in-all, the Tulsa, OK native gave up only one earned run (three total runs) in 7.0+ innings, scattering three hits and a walk, and getting out of the only jam he faced, in the 7th, taking minimal damage. Webb through 61 of his 94 pitches for strikes, fanned four Loggers, and induced eleven groundball outs.

Things were tight, however, late in the game. Despite the Rafters outhitting the Loggers 12-4 going to the bottom of the eighth, Wisconsin Rapids lead just 5-2, narrowly escaping a jam in the top half of the inning. But then the floodgates opened up. The Rafters dropped seven runs on La Crosse in the home half, an inning that saw 13 batters come to the plate, a bases-loaded walk, and Pat Kelly (FR, Univ. of Nebraska) scoring on his own sacrifice bunt attempt.

Seth Fuller tossed a scoreless ninth to finish the job, and the Rafters, in front of a 1,400+ person crowd, picked up their first victory of the season.

Cole Webb (1-0) picked up his first win and Jesse Holiday (0-1) took the loss for La Crosse. Win the win, the Rafters improved to 1-1, which marks the first time in the franchise's history that the team has had a .500 record.

The Rafters (1-1) go on the road Friday to take on the Express (1-1) in Eau Claire before returning home to host the Express Saturday night for the first Bull's Eye Credit Union post-game fireworks night. Friday's game begins at 6:35 pm.



Northwoods League Stories from May 31, 2012


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