Madison, Wis. – The Rockford Rivets (22-32) traveled to Madison on Thursday night and fell to the Mallards 8-7.
“We swung the bats pretty well today, which is good to see,” Rivet’s Manager Brian Smith said. “We put ourselves in position to win the game and that’s all you can ask for each night.”
Madison struck first right away and put up two runs in the first inning. Rockford would respond in the third after left fielder Parker Bates tripled to score two runs. Bates would score on the same play due to an error by the shortstop and make the score 3-2.
Rockford would then tie the game in the fourth and eventually take the lead in the seventh after Bates scored on a wild pitch to put the Rivets ahead 6-5.
Madison then put three across after second baseman Trevor Schwecke hit a bases loaded triple in the eighth inning to put Madison in front 8-6.
Designated hitter Cade Bunnell hit his third home run of the year in the top half of the ninth to pull Rockford within one run, but that’s all the Rivets could get.
Cooper Cain started the game on the mound for Rockford after starting the Northwoods League All-Star game for the South Division on Tuesday night. Cain went 3.1 innings, while striking out four and allowing five earned runs on Thursday night against the Mallards.
Nathan Schneiderman came in for relief and went 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit, while recording five strikeouts. Anthony Holubecki and Dane Haveman also made appearances in relief.
“Our pitchers will start to get back into a grove,” Smith said. “It’s hard to take three days off and get back on schedule.”
The Rivets will play Madison tomorrow in Rockford at 6:35 pm to wrap up the series against Madison.
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.