For the Rapids City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (22-27, 7-7 second half) blew out the Kalamazoo Growlers (30-20, 6-9 second half) 12-1. The Growlers pitching staff issued 19 walks to the Rafters, the most walks drawn by Wisconsin Rapids in team history.

Wisconsin Rapids’ offense started in the first as an RBI sacrifice fly from Jack-Thomas Wold (UNLV) brought in the first run. Two more runs came home in the second as Brody Wofford (UCF) and Ty Duvall (Vanderbilt) worked walks with the bases loaded. In the third, three runs scored via Jordan Wiley (Kalamazoo College) being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Wofford working another bases-loaded walk, and an Ethan Stringer (Louisville) RBI sac fly to right field. The Rafters had a 6-0 advantage but no base hits after three frames.

Kalamazoo scored their lone run in the sixth off an RBI groundout from Jared Miller. Wisconsin Rapids responded with two runs in the sixth by a double from Mike Rojas (Auburn). The final four runs for the Rafters came across in the seventh as Mitch Mallek (St. Cloud State) brought in two with a base hit and a Growler error allowed Mallek and Jake Dunham (Northern Illinois) to come home.

Trayson Kubo (5-1, 1.29 ERA) earned his fifth win of the year with five more scoreless innings. Sam Weatherly (0-2, 7.71) was given the loss, allowing six runs in three innings while issuing 10 of the 19 total walks attributed to the Growlers pitching staff.