Wausau Woodchucks baseball earns comeback win over Green Bay Rockers

For Wausau Pilot & Review

GREEN BAY – In a game that saw four lead changes, five home runs and 15 total runs, the Wausau Woodchucks came out victorious with an 8-7 win over the Green Bay Rockers on Thursday afternoon at Capitol Credit Union Park.

The Chucks sent Caleb White (Georgia Southern) to the mound to start the game. He struggled through three innings and allowed four runs, one off a three-run home run in the third. He would be pulled after three and Garrett Brogdon (Simpson University) would come in to make his fifth appearance.

The Woodchucks did score one run in the third after Max Galvin (Miami) led off with a double and scored on an RBI by Luke Pemberton (Pepperdine), his first RBI as a Woodchuck.

Wausau had some new faces in the lineup, one being Edian Espinal (Chipola College) who had his first hit as a Chuck, a leadoff double in the sixth. A new face to 2024 but not to the Chucks, returner Colin Bruggemann (Oklahoma St.) batted him in on a fielder’s choice to cut Green Bay’s lead to 4-2.

The Chucks tied up the game in the seventh after a leadoff walk and two perfect bunt base hits by Christian Smith-Johnson (Texas A&M Corpus-Christi) and Jake Berkland (Mankato St.) loaded the bases. Isaac Webb (Texas A&M Corpus-Christi) and Galvin singled to tie the game at 4-4.

Garrett Brogdon would pitch the seventh, his fourth inning of work. He struck out two to reach five on the day. He did allow a solo home run, and the Chucks trailed once again 5-4 heading to the eighth.

The Chucks would grab the lead right back after Pemberton singled and Smith-Johnson hit his first home run of the season, a no-doubt two-run shot to left.

Green Bay responded with two solo home runs to regain the lead 7-6 heading into the ninth.

Two hits brought up Bryce Hubbard (Georgia) to pinch hit with runners on second and third. On a 0-1 count, Hubbard made it three-straight games with an RBI by batting home two on a clutch single, as the Chucks took an 8-7 lead.

Evan Alwine (FIU), who allowed two home runs in the eighth, struck out two in the ninth to preserve the victory for Wausau, which is now 2-0 in the second half and 28-9 overall.

The Chucks will play three-straight at home starting Friday against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders beginning at 6:35 p.m. There will be fireworks following the game. The teams will play again Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday the Woodchucks will host Wisconsin Rapids at 1:05 p.m.