In the final inning at Kokomo Municipal Stadium, Jackrabbits’ sidearm right-hander Dolan Ramsey entered the game with the game tied 3-3. Desperately hoping to avoid a four game sweep, Ramsey quickly settled in on the mound, retiring Rockford’s Nick Demarco and Daniel Contreras on fly balls to the infield for a quick first two outs. 

But, with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the ninth, Bobby Atkinson turned on a full-count fastball up the middle for a base hit. With the go-ahead run at first, Rockford’s Nick Barone hit the jackpot, sending an RBI double to the absolute farthest corner in left-field, allowing Atkinson to reach home safely despite a close play at the plate. 

Barone’s RBI double gave Rockford a 4-3 lead, routing them to their eventual victory, and a four game sweep over Kokomo on the road. 

Before the Rivets broke the Jackrabbits’ hearts in the ninth, it took a slow burning comeback to do so. First, Jackrabbit starter Frederick Romano pitched lights out in his outing. Romano went five innings of shutout baseball, giving up a mere two hits while striking out seven batters in the process. 

“I know we’re always going to get a quality start out of him. Freddie is very competitive and stays in control,” Jackrabbits manager Johnston Hobbs said. “He stays calm, you don’t see him get excited, and he’s locked in. I like that about him.”

After Romano exited, the Jackrabbits led 3-0, needing the bullpen to hold down the lead for the remaining four innings. But, this was not the case. 

Kokomo’s early lead started in the first inning, with Jack Anderson driving in an RBI single to center, scoring JJ Dutton from second. Then, a Lukas Farris fourth inning RBI double to left-center made the score 2-0, with Romano keeping Rockford’s offense stagnant defensively. 

The sixth inning saw Kokomo’s third and final run, as Jake Lambdin grounded into a double play which scored Jace Phelan from third.

However, Kokomo’s 3-0 lead started to dwindle away in the seventh. With the Jackrabbits bullpen now taking over, Rockford’s offense scored two runs in the seventh, thanks to a wild pitch and an RBI single from Brayden Bakes. 

In the eighth inning, things got interesting. With one out and nobody on, Rockford’s Scott Newman tripled to right, with Brayden Bakes tying the game with an RBI single two at-bats later. 

Bullpen pitching has plagued the Jackrabbits all season long, as the team holds a collective 6.81 ERA, the highest in the Northwoods league. 

“It’s kind of been the same thing all season, but we are getting better, at least we’re not giving up seven or eight runs an inning,” said Hobbs. “We just need to score more than three runs because we know come the sixth or seventh inning that’s when we start having trouble.”

After Thursday’s 4-3 loss, the Jackrabbits have now lost eight straight, and hold a record of 3-20. This weekend, the Jackrabbits will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin for a two-game series against the Kingfish before heading back to Kokomo on Sunday afternoon. 

 

Article written by Charlie Huiras