For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (16-7) continued their pitching dominance on July 24, in game No. 1 of two with the Rockford Rivets (12-11). Rafters pitching allowed just three hits in a 4-2 Rafters win.

Pitchers were expected to reign supreme with Rockford and Wisconsin Rapids bringing the top ERAs in the league into the night. The Rafters faced Zach Kammin of the Rivets, who entered the day leading the staff in strikeouts. The Rafters got four runs off of Kammin in his 4.1 innings pitched.

In the third, the Rafters scored a run off the bat of Billy Cook. Cook doubled down the left field line scoring Richie Schiekofer on a hit-and-run. Two batters later, the Rafters took the lead on a Jake Dunham RBI groundout.

Two innings later, with the score tied at two, Cook walked, Ryan Walstad singled, and Dunham was hit by a pitch to set the table for Jack-Thomas Wold. Wold hit a groundout, scoring Cook to give the Rafters a lead. The Rafters would get one more in the inning on a wild pitch to conclude the scoring.

Rafters pitching struck out 15 batters in a strong performance. Jimmy Borzone got his first win with four innings scoreless, striking out eight.