LOVES PARK, Ill. – Cade Bunnell extended his hitting streak to 11 games as the Rockford Rivets beat the Madison Mallards, 7-3, Wednesday in the opener of a split-site, day-night doubleheader.
Bunnell was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs out of the leadoff spot for the Rivets, who play the Mallards again at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Warner Park in Madison. His hitting streak is the longest in the brief history of Rockford’s first-year Northwoods League team.
Bunnell gave the Rivets a 2-1 lead with a two-run single in the bottom of the second inning. Madison’s Nick Roark, who was 2-for-3, doubled to center field in the fourth to tie the game.
Rockford took the lead for good with two runs off reliever Alex Hintze (1-1) in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jacob Vander Wal tripled to right field, then scored on a single by Jordan Hovey.
The Rockford bullpen held Madison to a run on a hit over the final five innings. Kacey Murphy (2-0) gave up that run and hit, but pitched 2 1/3 innings for the win. Trevor Kiminski got the last eight outs and earned his first save.
The broadcast and live stream of the nightcap can be found at NorthwoodsLeague.com.
Rockford is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, in 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 (Washington Nationals) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets), Lucas Duda (Mets) and Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com. For more information, visit RockfordRivets.com.
