For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters took another game at home, raising their record to a league-best 19th win with an 8-3 victory against the Woodchucks. The Rafters struck for three home runs in the win, leading throughout.

The Rafters took control in the first. After a single from Richie Schiekofer and a Billy Cook walk, the Rafters scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout from Jack-Thomas Wold. Travis Adams took it from there, pitching five scoreless innings for the Rafters in his sixth appearance of the season, lowering his season ERA to 0.82.

Wisconsin Rapids kick-started the offense further in the fifth. Hank Zeisler led off the inning with his second home run in two games over the center field wall. Four batters later, Billy Cook took a 3-2 fastball out to left for a two-run home run, his fifth of the year, to make it 4-0.

One inning later, the Rafters struck again with power. Christian Sepulveda pummeled a ball over the fence in right field for a two-run blast, his third. Sepulveda was 4-4 on the night to raise his batting average to .244 on the year.

Wisconsin Rapids scored two more to put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth. Bonner earned his fourth save of the year with his 1.2 innings of work. Adams received his first win of the year with his strong starting pitching.

The Rafters head to Wausau to play the Woodchucks on July 29. Coverage starts at 6:20 p.m. on AM 1320 WFHR.