Northwoods Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Stells Three Hits Propel Rafters to 3-2 Win over Woodchucks

June 14, 2013 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters News Release


Wausau, WI- Taylor Stell added three hits and swiped two bags while, Brad Stroik, threw seven complete innings and tallied five strikeouts to earn his second win of the season as the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters downed the Wisconsin Woodchucks, 3-2. The win marked the third-straight time the Rafters have downed the Woodchucks this season and marked the fourth-straight game a Rafters starter has thrown six or more innings.

The Rafters struck for eight hits, while Stell and fellow outfielder, Donnie Dewees, each had two hits apiece. The top four batters in the Rafters order combined for seven hits in 14 at-bats throughout the course of the ballgame, while scoring all three runs in the ballgame, including two-runs scored by Stell.

Wisconsin Rapids got on the scoreboard in the third inning as they struck for two runs in the top of the third with two outs in the inning. After a strikeout by Texas A&M aggie, Charlie Curl, George Ragsdale bounced into an out to the Woodchucks short stop, Madison Carter. Carter had 10 assists in the ballgame to tie a Northwoods League record for assists in a single game. With two outs in the inning, Stell would single on a well-roped ball to Carter that flared off his glove. Stell then stole second base, giving him his league-leading 14th stolen base of the year. Dewees followed by out-hustling a broken bat infield single and Stell would come all the way around from second base to score on the heads-up play, tying the game, 1-1. Jackson Slaid added a single to left giving the Rafters runners at first and second with Zack Belanger at the plate. Belanger added to his RBI total as he brought in his ninth run of the season on a single to right field that plated Dewees. The run gave the Rafters a 2-1 lead.

Brad Stroik would navigate his way through the Woodchucks lineup, as he silenced their offensive attack by just yielding two runs through seven strong innings. The start by Stroik was his second quality start as a Rafter and gave the Steven's Point product his second win of the season. Stroik struck out five throughout the course of the ballgame, tying a single season strikeout total.

Perhaps the biggest play of the game came in the sixth inning as the Woodchucks threatened the Rafters with runners on first and third and with two outs as Wisconsin's catcher, Ian McLoughlin stepped the plate. McLoughlin would tag a bouncing ball right back up the middle that went through the legs of Rafters starting pitcher, Stroik, but bounced right into the waiting arms of Curl who raced the ball to the second base bag to end the Woodchuck threat. The play by the Aggie ended an inning where the Woodchucks had two singles and was the only frame where Wisconsin stranded multiple runners.

Nick Pettus and JP Feyereisen would come on in relief of Stroik in the eighth and ninth inning to shutdown the Woodchucks. Pettus and Feyereisen would need just seven batters to retire the Woodchuck side, while Feyereisen earned his third save of the season and has now thrown 11 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run, while striking out 13 batters.

The Rafters will continue their three-game series with the Wisconsin Woodchucks tomorrow night as the series shifts towards Witter Field for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch. Rafters will send Central Arkansas right-hander, Griffin Glaude, to the hill, opposite lefty, Dan Weigel.

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



Northwoods League Stories from June 14, 2013


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