By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
ASHWAUBENON – Green Bay Booyah baseball is officially back at Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon.
With about 1,000 fans in attendance, the Booyah opened the 2020 campaign July 1 with a 10-5 Northwoods League (NWL) loss to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
Scheduled to start in late May, the NWL delayed the start of the season to early July because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was great to play – everybody has given a lot to make this happen,” said second-year Booyah manager Tom Carty. “We are all aware of the risk, but we are trying to move forward. It was nice to see the fans in the stands.”
The Booyah and Capital Credit Union Park had fans socially distanced throughout the stadium.
Leading 5-3 after seven innings behind a pair of two-run homers in the fifth inning, Green Bay saw Rapids explode for seven runs in the last two frames.
“It’s early, and I think execution is going to struggle a little bit on all sides of the field,” Carty said. “I think the whole league will struggle for the first 10-12 games. We were playing good baseball up until the eighth. We gave up too many free bases to a good club. I think there will be a lot of good clubs in the league this year.”
After the Rafters jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the middle of the fifth, Green Bay’s Grant Emme (Eastern Illinois) drilled a two-run homer over the right-center scoreboard to knot the game at two.
Emme, a Kaukauna High School graduate, plated Ethan Payne – who walked to the lead off the inning – with the blast.
After Zack Raabe (Minnesota) singled, the Booyah got their second two-run homer of the inning when Brady West (North Greenville) hit a moon ball over the fence in right to make it 4-2.
Green Bay made it 5-3 an inning later when Stephen Hrustich (Northwestern) led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Emme.
“We have a good offensive club and are much more physical than last season,” said Carty. “Not just this ballpark but any ballpark guys can potentially change games. I like our team – it’s game one of 48.”
Jack Mahoney (UW-Milwaukee), a 6-foot-8 lefty from Appleton West High School, started on the mound for Green Bay and gave up one run on three hits.
Chandler Ingram (Montevallo) took the loss.
Emme had three RBI, while West and Raabe had a pair of hits.
Nadir Lewis (Princeton) added a triple for the Booyah, who had eight hits on the night.
Green Bay returns to action tonight, July 2, when they travel to Rapids for a 6:35 game.
The Booyah are back home Friday and Saturday, with both games starting at 4:35.