Brian Klein scores a run for the Rivets. Rockford held on to beat Kalamazoo 10-7 on Thursday night. Photo courtesy of Doug Timmermann of JK Richards Photography.
LOVES PARK, IL. – Although the Rivets split their two-game series in Wisconsin Rapids over the weekend, they managed 19 runs between the two games.
The Rivets (25-22) picked up right where they left off on Thursday night, downing the Kalamazoo Growlers (15-32) 10-7. Both teams worked deep into their bullpens in a game that lasted well over three hours and saw over 20 walks combined between the two teams.
The Growlers and Rivets both came out swinging early. After trailing the Growlers 3-0 in the 1st, Rockford came back to tie it. Bren Spillane (Illinois), Hunter Feduccia (LSU), and Zach Watson (LSU) all came home to score and even it up 3-3 moving into the 2nd.
Rockford wasn’t done, taking advantage of an excess of Kalamazoo walks. Spillane, Feduccia, and Watson all walked and scored in the 2nd. Brian Klein (Texas Tech) and Zach Rheams (Texas Tech) also scored in the inning to give Rockford an early 8-3 lead.
The Growlers looked like they might still have some life left in the 3rd. Jason Sullivan (Central Michigan) doubled and Ryan Orr (San Diego State) drove him home with two outs to cut the Rockford lead to 8-4.
From there, though, the pitching finally settled down for both clubs. That was, until the 7th inning. Matt Vanek (UW-Milwaukee) walked two batters and then Jack Duffy (Missouri State) hammered a ball to the right field porch to shorten Rockford’s lead once again, 8-7.
Rockford wasn’t going to let this one slip away, though. Anthony Forte (LSU-Eunice) and Hunter Feduccia (LSU) each notched RBI in the bottom of the 7th to extend the Rivets’ lead once again and put them up 10-7. That would be the final score, as Rockford held on down the stretch.
Tomorrow is the second game of the two-game series with Kalamazoo. It’s Princess Night! The game beings at 6:35 p.m., and there will be princesses, hair makeovers, and a tea party with the Rivets players before the game begins. Rockford will then take a quick one-game trip to Lakeshore on Saturday before returning to Rivets Stadium on Sunday for a 4:05 p.m. game against the Chinooks for Bark in the Park. You can order your Rivets tickets today by calling the Rockford Rivets ticket office at 815.240.4159.
The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2017. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 180 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals), two-time World Champion Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets) and Lucas Duda (Mets). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com.
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