CWS Sports Desk
August 3, 2012
Wisconsin Rapids– It didn’t go to extra innings between the Bombers and Rafters Friday night, but the game was close once again. In the first game decided in nine innings between the two since June 17th, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (7-20, 23-38 overall) lost to the Battle Creek Bombers (9-17, 23-38 overall). The game tied or separated by one run the entire way after the third on Friday, but the Rafters fell on the wrong end of a one-run game, 5-4, at Witter Field in their 100th home game in team history.
After falling behind early Thursday night, the Rafters struck first on Friday. Brandon Downes (FR, Univ. of Virginia) smashed his sixth home run with two on to give the Rafters a 3-0 lead in the first. Battle Creek then started to chip away.
Kyle Wormington (JR, Valparaiso Univ.) tossed a scoreless first inning. Sikes Orvis blasted a home run to strike first off of Wormington leading off the second. Another run in the third followed by a run in the fifth tied the game at three. The right-hander battled all night. He allowed runners in five of his seven innings but scattered eight hits and stranded five Bombers, leaving the game with a 3-3 tie. He was on-line for the win when the Rafters took a lead in the bottom half of the inning.
With two on and two out, Brandon Hohl (JR, Univ. of Illinois) scored Aaron Jones to give the Rafters a 4-3 lead after the seventh inning stretch. Just six away from the end the Rafters’ six-game slide.
Ronnie Muck (JR, Univ. of Illinois) made it five outs left when he got the dangerous Daniel Rockett to ground out. Next, Sikes Orvis singled. Connor Costello clubbed a two-run home run to give Battle Creek their first lead of the night.
The lead would hold up. Alex Tukey was dominant for the Bombers, coming on for the second straight night with two aboard in a close game and getting out of the jam. He stranded two Rafters in the eighth and worked a perfect ninth. He struck out all five batters he faced.
Muck took the loss (3-2) while reliever Chad Jasman remained perfect with the run (4-0). Tukey picked up his fifth save, his first since June 30th.
The loss was the Rafters’ seventh in a row, the longest losing streak for the team this year, and third longest streak in the Northwoods League. Wisconsin Rapids is still even with Battle Creek (3-3). The teams finish the three-game series at Witter Field on Saturday night.
Cole Webb (2-3, 4.91 ERA) gets the nod for the Rafters against Battle Creek’s Dan Tyson (2-2, 4.14 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
