For the Rapids City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (21-27, 6-7 second half) defeated the Kalamazoo Growlers (30-19, 6-8 second half) by double-digits 13-3. The cranberry and gold scored 13 runs on 14 hits while the Growlers were held to three runs on nine hits. Wisconsin Rapids started the scoring show in the second as Ethan Stringer (Louisville) was hit a by pitch thrown by Tyler Drabick with the bases loaded. Steven Rivas (Long Beach State) scored to make it 1-0 Rafters.

Kalamazoo tied it up at one in the fifth with an RBI base hit from Jason Sullivan. The Growlers took the lead an inning later with a two-run bomb to left from Jordan Bowersox.

The Rafters responded in their part of the sixth, plating six runs on five hits. Brody Wofford (UCF) drove in one via an RBI sacrifice fly to right.  Ethan Stringer delivered a triple to score two. Stringer then scored himself off a wild pitch from Growlers reliever Jeff Burch. Jake Dunham (Northern Illinois) capped off the inning with a two-run double as it was 7-3 Rafters after six innings.

The cranberry and gold weren’t finished as six more runs crossed in the eighth. Dunham collected an RBI single, Matt Schmidt (Michigan) worked a bases-loaded walk, Jordan Wiley (Kalamazoo College) was hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded, while Wofford cleared the bags with a three-run double to break the game wide open 13-3.

Chandler Brierley (1-1, 9.77 ERA) earned the win by finishing the top of the sixth before the Rafters took the lead. Jeff Burch (2-3, 4.65 ERA) suffered the loss allowing five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.