Loves Park, Il. – The Rockford Rivets (20-23) beat the Wisconsin Woodchucks 4-3 on Thursday night in Rockford and snapped a four game losing streak.
Things started off slow for the Rivets as they found themselves down 3-1 going into the fourth inning. They then got the offense they needed when left fielder Ryan Cole hit a two out double with the bases loaded to score all three runs and put the Rivets ahead 4-3. Cole’s hit was the deciding factor in the game and the sophomore from Notre Dame finished with three hits and three RBI’s.
Rivet’s Manager Brian Smith was happy with the offensive performance after the team’s recent struggles, but believes there is still room for improvement.
“Ryan Cole did a great job with runners in scoring position tonight but other guys still need to pick it up,” Smith said. “That game was way too close for as many base runners as we had tonight. The runs are in this lineup, we just need to figure out how to get it out of them.”
Brad Littleton started the game for the Rivets on the mound and went 4.2 innings while allowing the three earned runs and striking out two.
The bullpen then came in and allowed just one hit. Tanner Propst came in after Littleton and pitched 1.1 innings and picked up the win for his effort. Dane Haveman and Nathan Schneiderman both came in after Propst and continued the Rivet’s success on the mound, with Schneiderman picking up the save as a result.
Haveman made his second appearance of the mound for Rockford and went two innings while allowing just one hit, and also striking on three. Smith said that he would be a big piece of the bullpen going forward.
“Dane [Haveman] did a great job tonight,” Smith said. “Everything we expected to get from him he threw out there tonight. If we can add that to the bullpen we are going to have a lot of success shortening the ballgames.”
The Rivets will go for the sweep against the Woodchucks tomorrow night in Rockford at 6:35 pm.
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
