Behind two Daniel Cantu (R-Fr, South Florida) homers, the Rivets smoked Battle Creek 15-8 to take the two-game series from their Great Lakes East rival on Friday night at Rivets Stadium. The victory moves Rockford’s record to 2-2 in the second half and 17-22 overall. 

After Payton Hutchings (Fr, Illinois) allowed a run in the top of the 1st, his offense backed him up by scoring 5 times in the bottom of the 1st. 

The scoring started with Cantu’s first home run, a laser shot to the right field party porch to score Shemar Page (Jr, Louisiana Tech). Tommy Benson (R-Fr, Triton College) walked and came around to score on an RBI double by Brody Harding (So, Illinois). 

Harding would come around to score on an error, while Johannes Haakenson (Jr, Concordia Wisconsin) would score an RBI groundout by Grant Magill (R-Fr, Indiana State) to make it 5-1. 

Hutchings surrendered two more runs in the 3rd to make it 5-3, but the Rivets would put away the game by scoring in 5 straight frames.

After posting one run in the 4th and 5th, the Rivets scored 4 runs in the 6th on just two hits – including a 2-RBI single by Harding. In the 7th, a 3-run homer from Cantu burgeoned the lead to 14-4. 

AJ Golembiewski (So, Illinois-Springfield) allowed two runs in his Rivets debut in the 8th inning, but the offense got one back in the 8th to set up Elijah Sanchez (Jr, Northern Illinois) to close out a 15-8 win.

Rockford continues its 6-game homestand tomorrow by welcoming in the Wisconsin Woodchucks for a 6:05 contest.