Kalamazoo, Mich. – The Growlers has lost their second straight game following an 11-6 defeat against the Rockford Rivets. The loss drops the Growlers down to a game and a half back of the top spot in the division while the Rivets have won four straight to start the second half.

HOT IT HAPPENED:

– In a battle of playoff contenders in the Great Lakes East, the Rivets and Growlers looked to have an early pitchers dual on their hands. Outside of one mistaken curveball that was sent just a foot over the wall on left by Andrew Delaney, both starters worked comfortably into the third inning. Ware and Adorno, however, would be pulled early.

–  Adorno would be taken out prior to the end of the third following two hit by pitches and an error that tied the game up for the Growlers. Ware’s day would fall a part in the fifth inning, where Rockford put out 11 batters to the plate, scoring five runs on four hits, two walks and a pair of hut by pitches given up by reliever Ethan Getting. The Rivets even had more on the table, leaving the bases loaded and two outs.

– After another walk and a hit by pitch in the fifth, the Rivets would add on two more on an RBI single by Braden Duhon in the fifth before Nick Demarco would blast his second two-run shot of the season against the Growlers, putting the Rivets into double-digits.

– Nick Vollmert, in relief of Adorno, would shine. Vollmert struck out five across 4.1 innings of work and didn’t give up a single hit, continuing a Rockford no-hit bid into the eighth inning.

– The Rivets, with a chance to secure their first no-hitter in franchise history then went to a position player on the mound in Matthew Mebane. Mebane gave up the first hit to Kevin Krill before a wild ninth inning would have hum give up five runs.

– After three hits, two walks, three hit batters, the Rivets went back to the pen for one out. Beau Coffman would get the job done striking out Will Furniss to end the game.

Kalamazoo and Rockford will matchup again tomorrow night at Homer Stryker Field with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. ET. The game can also be watched on ESPN+