KOKOMO, INDIANA – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters beat the Kokomo Jackrabbits 7-2 on June 30 for their 26th win of 2022.

The Rafters were held scoreless in the top of the first after a Ben Ross leadoff single. Rafters’ starter, Nick Torres, shut down Kokomo in the bottom half of the first. However, the Rats’ bats came alive in the top of the second. Seth Stroh hit a ground-rule RBI double to give the Rafters their first run and lead of the night, 1-0. Aidan Brewer hit an RBI single in the next at-bat, and then a Stone Miyao RBI sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 ballgame.

Torres threw two more scoreless innings in the bottom halves of the second and third to end his night. He only gave up two hits, one walk, and struck out two.

The Rafters scored two more runs in the fourth via an RBI sacrifice fly from Aidan Brewer and an RBI single from Stone Miyao to put Wisconsin Rapids up 5-0.

Josh Howitt entered the game in relief for the Rafters in the home half of the fourth and threw a scoreless frame. He threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, but then Kokomo struck in the sixth. A Tucker Platt RBI single brought the first run across for the Jackrabbits to make it a 5-1 game. The end of Howitt’s line was three innings of one-run baseball while allowing one walk and striking out two. Ben Adams threw the bottom half of the seventh for the Rafters, as he allowed one more run (unearned) to score for the Jackrabbits to make it 5-2. Cooper Robinson threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Rafters, while giving up no hits and only allowing one walk.

The Rats’ bats came back to life in the top of the ninth, as a two-run single off the bat of Garrett Broussard gave the Rafters a 7-2 lead. Preston Howey threw a 1-2-3 bottom half of the ninth to secure the win for Wisconsin Rapids. Howitt earned the win, his third of 2022. Ben Ross, Harry Owen, and Seth Stroh all had multi-hit games at the plate, with Ross leading the charge with a three-hit night.