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Published On: July 10th, 2026
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Kenosha Kingfish returned home to Historic Simmons Field for the first time since being crowned the Great Lakes East Division first-half champions to open a two-game series against the Rockford Rivets Friday night. After a 1-4 start to the second half, the Kingfish got back in the win column with a victory over the Rivets by a final score of 6-1.
The Kingfish turned to their ace, Jackson Sobel, Friday night, and he was nothing short of outstanding. After an outing in Wausau where Sobel pitched four innings and allowed three runs, Friday night got the Kingfish All-Star back in the win column. Sobel allowed just one run in the second inning where a leadoff single by Zan Von Schlegell was brought around the bases and later scored on a wild pitch. Aside from the single in by Von Schlegell, Sobel allowed one more hit through seven innings, striking out eight and walking three batters.
Although the Kingfish only collected four hits against the Rivets, getting on base came easily as the ‘Fish drew 13 walks, with all nine players in the starting lineup recording at least one free base. Brian Gould led the Kingfish with three walks, followed by Owen Nowak and Ezra Essex who each earned two.
The scoring for the Kingfish began in the bottom of the third inning where the Kingfish scored their first three runs of the contest. The inning started with walks to J.R. Nelson and Owen Nowak. Dawson Downs brought home the first run of the night with an RBI-single to score Nelson, and a double by Ethan Moore that left the bat at 100 mph brought Downs and Nowak in to score. After the conclusion of the third, Kenosha was able to earn their first lead of the night, taking a 3-1 lead.
The Kingfish continued scoring in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring one run in the bottom of the fifth. Much like the third inning, the first two batters for the Kingfish reached base via free passes, and a single by Matthew Cormier loaded the bases with no one out. Although Jackson Brewer was not credited with an RBI, the Kingfish scored in the fifth as a 6-3 double play brought the fourth Kingfish run of the night home.
In the sixth, Ezra Essex made his way around the bases, stealing both second and third. In the next at-bat, Noah Alvarez brought Essex in to score with his first hit at Historic Simmons Field in 2026. The Kingfish finished their night offensively with J.R. Nelson scoring on a wild pitch, extending the Kingfish’s lead to 6-1 after six innings of play.
It was smooth sailing defensively for Kenosha after Sobel’s night concluded, as Henry Johnson came on in relief, throwing the final two innings, allowing no hits and striking out four Rivets in the process.
The Kingfish will conclude their series with the Rivets Saturday night before hosting the Richmond Flying Mummies for the first time in the second-half of the 2026 Northwoods League season. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CDT.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now entering its’ 33rd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 415 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on FloSports.tv.