By: Larry Larson
LOVES PARK, IL — The Rockford Rivets couldn’t overcome an early Kenosha Kingfish rally and fell 16-3 on Tuesday night at Rivets Stadium to open the 2021 home schedule. With the loss, Rockford falls to 1-1 on the season.
It was all Kingfish from start to finish, as Rivets starting pitcher Jared Herzog (Fr, Rockford University) surrendered four runs in the first inning thanks in part to two hit batsmen and a walk. Kenosha would eventually add four more in the fourth inning, chasing Herzog before he recorded an out in the frame.
Rockford would score all three of its runs in the 5th inning thanks to an RBI single by Peter Fusek (Fr, Milwaukee Area Tech) and a 2 RBI double by Dylan Robertson (Fr, Iowa Western Community College).
A 2-3 performance extends a hot start to the season for Robertson, who leads all Rivets with four RBIs and a .500 batting average through two games.
Kenosha would respond to Rockford’s rally with runs in the 5th and 6th before Hruz Wagner (Fr, Milwaukee Area Tech) and Chan Yao-Ming (Jr, Taiwan) recorded scoreless frames in their summer season debuts.
The floodgates opened in the top of the ninth, when Rockford was forced to bring starting left fielder Troy Tucci (R-Sr, Rockford University) in to pitch. The right hander was shelled for 6 runs before the Rivets were set down in order in the bottom of the 9th.
The Screws will now travel to Northwest Michigan to take on the 2-0 Traverse City Pit Spitters for a two game series, starting tomorrow at 5:35 central time. Rockford will start right hander James Raffauf (So, Volunteer State Community College).
The Rivets return home on Friday night to host the Kokomo Jackrabbits at 6:05 pm.
The game will be live streamed on the Northwoods League Baseball network and on the Rockford Rivets Radio YouTube Channel.
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The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.