By Cooper Perkins
Special to the City Times

Despite leading for the majority of the game, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (37-19, 13-7) endured a 4-1 loss to the Kenosha Kingfish (22-35, 6-15). The loss snapped the club’s four-game winning streak and delayed the Rafters from reaching the double century mark of 200 all-time wins.

In yet another solid pitching performance, Jake Repavich (Grand Canyon) was saddled with his third loss of the season, surrendering four runs (three earned) in 6 1/3 innings on the mound and picking up four strikeouts without a walk. In a similar progression to his last start against the Thunder Bay Border Cats, Repavich fired six scoreless innings before watching the game’s momentum shift in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rafter lineup was quiet throughout the evening, notching only a single run in the top of the first inning. After Demetrius Sims (Bethune-Cookman) led off the ballgame with an infield single and stole second base, he was moved to third by Dustin Woodcock (SIU-Edwardsville) on a ground ball to the right side of the infield. With two outs, Rob Calabrese (Illinois-Chicago) chopped a slow grounder into the hole between third and shortstop, allowing Sims to score and giving the Rafters an early 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the Rafters, the hits would largely dry up after the first inning, as they notched just three more the rest of the night. With the score sitting at 1-0, the game quickly developed into a pitcher’s duel, as Repavich and Grant Spranger each turned in excellent starts through six innings. In the bottom of the seventh frame, however, the Kingfish used five hits and an error to push across four runs against Repavich, taking the lead for the first and only time. The final two innings would pass quietly and the Rafters would leave runners on first and second when Joey Morgan (Washington) grounded out to end the ballgame.

The Rafters return to action at Simmons Field on Sunday for a late afternoon start. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM with coverage beginning on WFHR 1320 AM 15 minutes prior at 3:50.

For more information please visit raftersbaseball.com.