GREEN BAY, Wis – With their backs against the wall on Friday night, knowing a loss would eliminate them from playoff contention, the Rockford Rivets used a two-run tenth inning to sweep the Green Bay Bullfrogs and move to within a game of a playoff spot with a 4-2 win at Joannes Stadium.
The Rivets started the scoring in the fourth. Ryan Long (Texas Tech) doubled and Ricardo Ramirez (Illinois-Chicago) drove him home with a double of his own off Bullfrogs starter Harrisen Egly (Columbia). Troy Traxler (Minnesota) then drove Ramirez home with a single to make it 2-0.
Green Bay responded in the sixth. Laren Eustace (Indiana), Josh Hollander (Kent State), and Marcus Shoemaker (Lenoir-Rhyne) all singled to score a run. Austin Clemons (Louisville) then reached on an error, which allowed Hollander to score and tie the game at 2-2.
It stayed that way until the tenth, thanks in large part to fantastic outings from Rivets starter Drake Robison (Iowa), who went eight innings, and Egly, who went nine. Hunter Hargrove singled off of Bullfrogs reliever BJ Sabol (Indiana). After two outs, Kian O’ Brien (Madison Tech) reached on an error. That was followed by walks to Traxler, Jack Wassel (Geneva HS), and Braden Williams (Texas Tech) from Sabol (2-2) for a 4-2 lead. Joe Romero (Albany) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win and go to 2-3 on the season.
The Rivets will continue their final regular season road trip against the Kalamazoo Growlers at Homer Stryker Field Saturday night at 5:05. Broadcasts and live streams can be found at NorthwoodsLeague.com.
Rockford is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016. 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.
