Woodchucks Pull Away Late to Win 30th Game of Season
Northwoods Wausau Woodchucks

Woodchucks Pull Away Late to Win 30th Game of Season

July 12, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wausau Woodchucks News Release


WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI - The Woodchucks remained red hot on Saturday night with a strong 10-3 road win over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at Witter Field.

It's the Woodchucks' sixth straight win in the season series against Wisconsin Rapids, and it ensured the Woodchucks have now gone a full week without a loss. It was also the 13th time the Woodchucks have hit double digits in a game this season, and the sixth time they've reached that mark against the Rafters.

Wausau struck early, getting on the board in the top of the first. All-Star selection Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas) smoked a ground ball up the middle to score Dylan Schlotterback (Paris JC/Kansas) for his 35th RBI of the season. Schlotterback scored twice in the win and now leads the league with 45 runs scored on the summer.

The Rafters fought back quickly, scoring two runs to take the lead in the bottom half of the first, and adding another run in the third to take a 3-1 lead. But another Wausau All-Star responded quickly, as Noah Malone (Loyola Marymount) launched his seventh home run of the summer- a two-run shot in the fourth that tied the game at 3-3.

Then, Jake Berkland gave the Woodchucks the lead in unexpected fashion. In the sixth, the Wausau shortstop launched his first home run of the summer into left-center field, putting Wausau in front for good. It was Berkland's second home run with the Woodchucks, and only his fifth home run in his collegiate career.

The game stayed tight until the eight, where the Woodchucks broke things open with a six-run frame. The party started with Noah Malone hitting his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to make it 6-3. Malone becomes the first Woodchuck this season to have two different games with multiple home runs.

With Malone hitting his seventh and eighth home runs this season, the Woodchucks are now the only team in the Northwoods League to have two players who have hit eight or more home runs this summer. Malone also extended his on base streak to 27 games.

Max Galvin (Miami) joined in with a two-run home run later in the inning, the fourth and final long ball for the Woodchucks on the evening. It was the second time this season that the Woodchucks hit four home runs in the same game. Galvin now has six home runs on the 2025 season, and tonight's homer was his 20th of his Woodchucks career.

Cade Baldridge (Cowley CC/Kansas) got the Woodchucks to double digits with a two-run double to finish off the eighth inning. Baldridge now has three RBIs in his last two games.

It was another stellar outing for the Woodchucks bullpen, who didn't allow a Wisconsin Rapids run in the final six innings. It started with Richie LaCien (Lawrence), who struck out a season-high three hitters in two scoreless innings of work. LaCien has only allowed one earned run in four appearance this summer.

Connor Hill (College of Central Florida/St. John's River State) and Garrett Landry (Stephen F. Austin) followed with scoreless frames of their own. Reece Clapp (Illinois State/Bradley) took care of the Rafters in the eighth and the ninth. The 2025 All-Star faced the minimum six hitters and struck out two hitters, bringing his strikeout total to 30 on the summer. This season, Clapp has struck out 38% of the hitters he's faced.

Ultimately, the Woodchucks had one of their best defensive weeks of the summer. Wausau has allowed more than five runs just once over their last seven games, and after tonight win, their pitching staff has a 4.34 combined ERA against Wisconsin Rapids this season.

Wausau's now 30-16 on the season, and 9-2 in the second half. The Woodchucks have won 30 or more games in all four seasons under Corey Thompson. The Woodchucks now have a one and a half game lead in the second half Great Lakes West standings, with first half champions Green Bay in second place.

The Woodchucks will finish out their two-game set with Wisconsin Rapids tomorrow afternoon, when they face the Rafters at Witter Field at 3:05 p.m. That will be Wausau's last home game before they will take four consecutive days off during the All-Star break.

Wausau will be back at Athletic Park next Friday, July 18, when the Lakeshore Chinooks come to town. Fans can watch the Woodchucks at home all summer long by visiting woodchucks.com to purchase tickets.



Northwoods League Stories from July 12, 2025


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