For the City Times

MEQUON – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (23-13) topped the Lakeshore Chinooks (16-20) 7-6 on Aug. 11, to win the second-half Great Lakes West Division Championship and clinch a spot in the Northwoods League Playoffs.

Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Roman Trujillo and Aidan Huggins drove in runs to put the Rafters on top 2-1. Lakeshore answered with a pair in the bottom of the third, but the Rafters came storming back one inning later.

Wisconsin Rapids posted four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Noah Thigpen doubled to tie the game and Trujillo and Richie Schiekofer each tallied an RBI single. Anthony Galason capped off the inning with an RBI double to make it 6-3 Rafters.

Huggins scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to add to the Rafters lead and the Chinooks rallied to make it a one-run game heading to the ninth, but Brayden Bonner closed out the game and sealed the big Rafters win.

Izzy Fuentes gets the win with 3.1 innings of relief work, striking out four batters. Brayden Bonner fanned four in 1.2 shutout innings of work out of the bullpen to earn the save. Lakeshore’s Bailey Vuylsteke is credited with the loss.

The Rafters will take on the Madison Mallards at Witter Field on Aug. 12 at 7:05 p.m. for game one of a best-of-three playoff series. For more information, visit Raftersbaseball.com or 521 Lincoln Street, Wisconsin Rapids, or call 715-424-5400.