Wausau Woodchucks crush Wisconsin Rapids

For Wausau Pilot & Review

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wausau Woodchucks earned a split in its home-and-home series with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, rolling to a 17-3 victory Wednesday night at Witter Field.

The Woodchucks did not lose a game at Wisconsin Rapids this season, finishing with 57 runs in the six victories.

The Chucks had a monster of a third inning, scoring eight runs.

The inning started with a Jake Berkland (Minnesota-Mankato) walk, followed by four consecutive hits by Vance Sheahan (South Carolina-Upstate), Val Cerna Jr. (Central Michigan), Max Galvin (Miami) and Colin Bruggemann (Oklahoma State). Cerna Jr.’s hit was a double in his first game back as a Woodchuck. Christian Smith-Johnson also had a sacrifice fly that scored another run to finish off the eight-run inning.

The Chucks followed with a two-run fourth inning as Bruggemann hit his sixth homer of the year. The Chucks would get one more in the sixth thanks to a single from Sam Fischer (Florida International), and two in the seventh on four consecutive to hits from Smith-Johnson (Corpus Christi), Berkland, Sheahan and Cerna Jr.

In the top of the eighth, Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas) launched his eighth home run of the season to left scoring Samuel Fischer to make the score 15-1. Berkland and Smith-Johnson both scored as well to up the lead to 17-1.

Travis Lutz (Bradley) started on the mound for the Chucks. He went a full five innings, allowing no runs and just one hit, while striking out seven. Seth Clausen (Minnesota) got the Chucks to the ninth, throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. David Brown (Oklahoma-Tonkawa) was given the nod to close out the ninth and struck out one to finish off the Chucks’ victory.

The Woodchucks (44-15, 18-7 second half) return home to Athletic Park on Thursday against Thunder Bay, with entertainment provided by The Zooperstars! That will kick off a three-game home stand, with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Wausau will also host Thunder Bay on Friday at 6:35 p.m. and Madison at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.