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Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Speed and Defense Gets Rafters Win, 5-4

June 14, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


Wisconsin Rapids, WI - June 13, 2012 - Five unanswered runs for the Rafters Wednesday night gave them their second one-run victory of the season, as they beat the Wisconsin Woodchucks 5-4 at Witter Field in front of 1,437 screaming and thunderstick-clapping fans on Riverview Family Clinic Night.

The Rafters last win came a week ago Wednesday, in the same park against the same team. The Rafters won 8-6 at home at Witter Field a week ago, and a week later the Rafters won again, after six straight losses, tying the longest such stretch by Wisconsin Rapids in 2011.

The Woodchucks scored all four of their runs in fifth. Three walks and back-to-back base hits spoiled Nestor Bautista's night; the Manhattan native had been marvelous up until that point. In his six innings, the left-hander scattered five hits and four walks, striking out five. For the second straight outing, he did not pick a decision.

The Rafters got a run in the bottom of the fiftha crazy one at that. After two outs, Sean Godfrey (SO, Ball State Univ.) walked, stole a pass, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball.

After Skyler Debilzen (JR, UW-La Crosse) got out of a jam in the 7th, which included the fourth out on an attempted steal by Wisconsin, the Rafters strung together baserunners in the bottom half of the inning.

Six of the first seven Rafters reached in the 6th inning. Aaron Jones (JR, Winston Salem State) grounded into a double play to score Josh Cyr, who had reached on an error, to make it 4-2. With two outs, the Rafters rallied with a base-on-balls and then back-to-back RBI-singles by Colin Bray (FR, Univ. of South Alabama) and Jordan Dreiling (JR, Univ. of Kansas), as the two regulars with the lowest batting averages on the team came up with big base-knocks to tie it at four.

Austin Neary (FR, Western Carolina Univ.) poked a two-out blooper down the right field line to score Godfrey to give the Rafters the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth. The hit was just Neary's second with runners in scoring position this season, despite his healthy .283 overall average.

Seth Fuller (2-0) (FR, Western Illinois Univ.) recorded the final six outs for the win. He struck out three and allowed just one baserunner, a groundball single in the ninth. The loss was credited to the starting DH and relief pitcher Chevas Numata (1-2).

The Rafters (6-9) travel to Wausau to take on the Woodchucks (8-7) once again on Thursday before returning to Witter Field for the final of three games on Friday. They are winless in their last seven trips to Athletic Park and are just 1-5 on the road overall this season. They will send Ben Heller (0-0, 1.72 ERA) to the hill to face Mark Royer (0-0, 0.00).

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 2012. Reserve your 2012 ticket packages today by calling 715-424-5400, or in person by stopping by the Rafters office at historic Witter Field. 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. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.

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