It was too little, too late for the Rivets on Sunday, who scored in three straight innings to finish the game but fell short 9-6 to the Wisconsin Woodchucks at Rivets Stadium. The loss snaps the Rivets’ win streak at 3 games.
In contrast to Saturday’s series opener, the battle started as a pitchers’ duel. Ryan Culley (So, Central Michigan) tossed 3 scoreless innings in his first outing as a Rivet. His opponent, Dylan MacCallum (Fr, Pepperdine) did the same, allowing just one hit.
The floodgates opened in the top of the 4th, when Culley surrendered a two-run home run to Ben McCabe (So, Central Florida) to open the scoring.
Culley then issued a walk and committed a throwing error on a bunt – sailing a throw into right field, allowing a run to score. Jordan Schaffer (R-Jr, Indiana State) picked up an RBI groundout to make the score 4-0.
On the other side of the scorecard, MacCallum continued his dominance, exiting the game after throwing a scoreless 5th inning.
Noah DeLuga (Fr, Minnesota) entered the game in relief of Culley and also threw a scoreless 5th, but allowed two runs in the 6th on two RBI singles to make the score 6-0.
Rockford manufactured a run in the 7th, as Brody Harding (So, Illinois) scored on a Grant Magill (R-Fr, Indiana State) groundout.
The ‘Chucks broke things open in the top of the 8th, posting 3 runs on Jared Herzog (Fr, Rockford University).
The Rivets attempted to come back, scoring twice in the 8th on an RBI triple off the bat of Jared Cushing (R-Fr, Xavier) and a Harding groundout. In the bottom of the 9th, the first two Rivets went down quietly before Jake Donahue (Fr, Central Michigan) and Phil Matulia (Jr, Louisiana Tech) drew walks.
Donahue scored on a wild pitch, before Wade Elliott (So, Louisiana Tech) drove in Matulia and Daniel Cantu (R-Fr, South Florida) to cut the deficit to 9-6. The line ended there, as Cushing struck out, leaving the tying run on deck.
The Rivets will take on the first-half Great Lakes East Champion Traverse City Pit Spitters tomorrow at 6:05.
