CWS Sports Desk
August 6, 2012
Wausau–Not many have beaten the Wisconsin Woodchucks (25-3, 42-21 overall) in the second half, especially at home, but the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (8-21, 24-39 overall) came extremely close Sunday night at Athletic Park in Wausau. The Rafters led twice and tied the game in the ninth, but lost 4-3 on the Woodchucks 8th walk-off win of the season, second against Wisconsin Rapids.
Pitching from behind early, Augey Bill (SO, Univ. of Arizona) pitched tremendously once again. Coming off a seven-inning shutout performance against the Eau Claire Express in his last start, Bill fired seven innings of one-run baseball. He allowed just 3 hits and did not walk a single batter. The sole blemish came from Bryant Munoz who doubled to score the first run of the game in the second inning. After that hit, of the next 17 batters to face Bill, only one found a way aboard. It was former Rafter Brooks Braga—and he reached on an error.
Despite the 1-0 deficit, Bill left with a lead. Wisconsin Rapids found two runs off of Adam Kramer in the fifth. Alex Bacon (SO, Univ. of North Florida) tripled in Josh Cyr (JR, Univ. of North Alabama) with a screamer down the left field line. Nick Ammirati (JR, Mississippi State Univ.) singled in Cyr to take the lead 2-1. It was one of two hits for Ammirati who has collected two hits in his last two games.
Skyler Debilzen pitched the eighth for the Rafters with a 2-1 lead. After retiring the first two batters, the next three reached on hits and the Woodchucks took scored two taking a lead going to the ninth. The Rafters, however, would no go away quietly. Pat Kelly (FR, Univ. of Nebraska) jarred the ball loose at home on an RBI single from Cyr to tie the game.
With Seth Fuller (SO, Black Hawk College) on the mound in a 3-3 tie in the bottom half of the ninth, though, the Woodchucks found a way to win at home once again. A sacrifice bunt attempt from Madison Joe Luvisi was overthrown with two on, and the Woodchucks improved to 19-1 at home in the second half. The walk-off was the Woodchucks’ eighth of the summer, and they have done it in seven different ways.
With seven games to play, Wisconsin Rapids still needs only one win to break the franchise record for wins a season. They will try to pick it up against the Woodchucks again Monday night, this time at home, for Veterans’ Appreciation Night. A win would also split the season series against the first-place team from Wausau. Bo Henning (3-5, 5.22 ERA) gets the ball for the Rafters for the final time this season. First pitch from Witter Field is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
