LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford Rivets (4-3) earned a big win Monday night over the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at Rivets Stadium by a score of 13-5.

This was a good bounce back game for the Rivets after they went 1-3 on their four-game road trip, with two of the three losses coming in walk-off fashion.

After starting pitching Cole Bellair (2-0) gave up four runs in the top half of the third inning, Rockford doubled the Rafters total and put up eight runs in the bottom half to go up by a score of 8-4.

The Rivets weren’t done there. They managed to put up three runs in the fifth and an additional two runs in the sixth.

Seven Rivets put themselves in the hit column and four finished with at least two hits. Centerfielder Brennan Reback continued to stay hot and added three RBIs with one run and two hits in five at bats. Left Fielder Connor Rutherford joined in on the fun and also added three RBIs and two hits.

Rivet’s manager Brian Smith was pleased with his team’s ability to answer the Rafters’ big inning with a rally of their own.

“It’s always nice to finish each inning on a high note on both ends so when you give up four runs,” Smith said. “You go back and stop their shutdown inning, it gives you all of the momentum back.”

Bellair was back on track after his fourth inning hiccup. He finished with seven strikeouts, one walk and allowed six hits in six innings pitched. The former University of Illinois pitcher picked up his second win of the season as a result.

Rivet’s manager Brian Smith was happy with Bellair’s ability to bounce back after having a rough fourth inning.

“Being able to give up four runs, then score eight, then have Cole go back out there and throw up a zero, kept us ahead and just kept us rolling,” Smith said. “We could tell immediately in the dugout when we put up that zero that it was our game again.”

Another Illinois pitcher Jimmy Burnette, who made his first appearance of the season as a Rivet, came in the seventh inning in relief. Burnette pitched two innings and gave up one run, but struck out three. Hunter Keim then came in to the ninth and closed things out for Rockford.

Rockford hopes to carry the momentum from Monday over to Tuesday. They will be back at it bright and early at Rivets stadium at 11 am to finish up their series with the Rafters.

Tickets for the Rockford Rivets are available for purchase, including our 5-Game Pack which now costs only $60. Tickets can be purchased by calling the 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. Now in its 25th anniversary season, 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, more than 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  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 or on Google Play and set the Rivets as your favorite team.