By: Larry Larson
After finding themselves down 5-0 in the 2nd inning, the Rockford Rivets scored 10 unanswered runs to beat the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 10-5. The victory is Rockford’s third straight, and even’s the squad’s record at 6-6.
Rivets starter Payton Hutchings (Fr, Illinois) surrendered 5 runs – one unearned – to put the Rivets in an early hole in the 2nd frame.
After stranding runners in the 2nd and 3rd innings, Rockford broke through with an offense explosion in the 4th – pushing across 6 runs with two outs.
Grant Magill (R-Fr, Indiana State) started the scoring with an RBI single in his first game in Rockford. A few baserunners later, Tyeler Hawkins (R-Fr, Louisville) tied the game at five with a 3-RBI triple.
The Rivets would tack on three more runs in the 6th on a throwing error and a 2-RBI single from Wade Elliot (So, Louisiana Tech).
Rockford scored another unearned insurance run in the 8th on a base knock by Elliot, pushing the lead to 5.
The Rivets’ bullpen picked up another flawless performance, with Cade Turner (Fr, Illinois-Springfield) hurling 3 scoreless frames, followed by 1.1 from Tucker Shalley (Fr, Illinois).
After Shalley loaded the bases in the 9th, closer Chan Yao-Ming (Jr, Kainan University – Taiwan) picked up the final two outs to record his second save of the summer.
The Rivets and Dock Spiders will battle once more tomorrow, with first pitch set for 3:05 at Rivets Stadium. Bryce Barnett (R-Fr, Arizona State) will get the starting nod from manager JT Scara.
