La Crosse, WI – July 22, 2012 – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (6-12, 22-30 overall) once again scored first Sunday and carried a lead late into the game against the La Crosse Loggers (9-8, 35-17 overall). An eighth-inning two-run homer gave La Crosse a 4-3 lead that would hold up as the final.

Both teams scored in the first for the third straight game. For the first time in the three-game set, though, the Rafters left the first without a deficit with the game tied at 1-1. On a fielder’s choice and wild throw in the third off the bat of Brandon Downes (FR, Univ. of Virginia), Wisconsin Rapids plated Jordan Dreiling (JR, Univ. of Kansas) and Pat Kelly (FR, Univ. of Nebraska) to take a 3-1 lead.

With the lead, Cole Webb (JR, Valparaiso Univ.) would cruise. After the one-run first, Webb fired three straight hitless innings. He didn’t allow another run until the sixth, when the Brandon Bednar knocked the fourth hit of the night off of him, and the first to a right-handed hitter, scored Tyler Kuresa to make it 3-2.

Webb tossed seven innings for the second time of the year. In his third start against the Loggers, he made his third straight quality start against them. The Tulsa, OK native threw seven innings allowing only two runs on four hits. Webb walked five but limited the damage stranding five Loggers and also struck out three.

Coming on in the eighth for the beginning of what might have been a six-out save, Seth Fuller (SO, Black Hawk College) left the inning on the wrong side of a 4-3 score. With one-out and one out, Richard Prigatano blasted an opposite-field two-run home run.

Fuller took the loss to fall to 5-2, while reliever Zach Wright picked up his third win (3-0) for La Crosse. Jonanthon Van Eaton, for the second straight day, collected a save, his 11th.

The Rafters are off three days for the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Pat Kelly, Alex Bacon, and Seth Fuller will compete in the game. Bacon will also participate in the Home Run Derby. The Rafters schedule resumes Thursday when the Mallards come to town for the final time this season. First pitch from Witter Field is scheduled for 7:05 pm.