By Sedric Granger<\/b><\/p>\n
Battle Creek, MI – The Rockford Rivets (28-21, 8-7 in the second half) defeated the Battle Creek Battle Jacks (18-30, 8-6 in the second half) at MCCU Field, 3-1, behind a terrific 11 strikeout performance from the Rivets pitching staff. This is the 5ht time this season in which Rockford has held Battle Creek to just a single run.<\/span><\/p>\n Although the Battle Jacks yielded the first run of the game for the 6th consecutive game, the pitching staff did provide another winnable outing. Gage Smith (Oakland) got the start and yielded two runs in four innings of work. Since Jared Schwartz (Davenport) only pitched two innings in his last start, Schwartz was able to pitch out of the bullpen for the Battle Jacks, striking out three Rivets in three and two thirds innings of work. Jake Kampf (SIUE) completed the final one and a third innings, giving up one earned run.<\/span><\/p>\n Defensively, the Battle Jacks have fallen into a bad habit of making fielding errors. After committing two errors in this game, Battle Creek has now made nine fielding errors in the last four contests. These mistakes can prove costly. For example, a throwing error in the ninth allowed a Rockford base runner to go from first base to third base. Moments later, the Rivets cashed in on an RBI single, showcasing how crucial it is for the Battle Jacks to play sharp defense.<\/span><\/p>\n