WAUSAU, WIS – The Wisconsin Woodchucks got off to a strong start and held on through an hour-and-a-half rain delay to beat the Rockford Rivets 9-7 Saturday night at Athletic Park.

 

The Chucks started Cole Bellair’s evening by gathering three consecutive hits to start the first inning.  Steve Passatempo drove in Mac Caples with a groundout and Johnathan Foster added a run scoring single to make it 2-0 after one inning.  Run scoring singles by Jake Pavletich and Caples in the third made it 4-0.

 

Rockford would battle back in the fourth and fifth innings.  Jesse Wilkening drove home Cade Bunnell with a single in the fourth before taking the lead in the fifth.  After two were out, Neal Tyrell walked, Bunnell, David Cronin, and Michael Smith all had hits and Wilkening, Hunter Steinmetz, and Alex Maloney all walked to make it 5-4 Rivets against starter Scott Parker (4-1).

 

Wisconsin had an immediate response against Rivets righty Trevor Kiminski (0-1).  Caples scored two with a double and after a run scoring hit by George Janca, Passatempo drove in Caples to make it 8-5.  Rockford would cut it to 8-7, but would get no closer against Gordon Cardenas, who earned his fourth save.

 

The Rivets will wrap up the two game series against the Wisconsin Woodchucks in Wausau on Sunday at 3:05 p.m.  Broadcasts and live streams can be found at NorthwoodsLeague.com. 

 

 

 

 

The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.rockfordrivets.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Rivets as your favorite team.