By David Keech
CentralWisconsinSports.net

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters fell to 1-1 on the season as they lost to the La Crosse Loggers 10-5 at Copeland Park in La Crosse Thursday night.

The Rafters jumped out to an early 4-2 lead in the top of the second inning as back-to back-to back RBI base hits by Zack Domingues (Long Beach State), Jake Sandlin (Georgia College), and Mitchell McGeein (Eastern Michigan) helped the Rafters gain the early lead. Max Widmar (Parkland College) started the inning with a walk, and was followed up by Demetrius Sims (Bethune Cookman) with a single, before the hit parade got rolling.

Domingues returned to the Rafters lineup following winning the Northwoods League Batting Title during the 2014 season and picked up right where he left off.

Teaming the Sandlin and McGeein, all three provided the spark to the Rafters’ offense from the top of the order in recording two hits apiece. Blake Molitor recorded a single in the 5th inning as well to continue his hot start to the 2015 season.

Brian Russell (College of Staten Island) contributed a strong start on the mound for the Rafters keeping the Loggers off balance in his first start of the season. After allowing two runs to score in the bottom of the first inning, Russell settled down and gave his offense the chance to get him a lead, which he had when he departed after 5+ innings of work.

Errors came back to haunt the Rafters however as the five they committed assisted the Loggers in the eight runs they scored in their last 3 at-bats.