By Ashley Birkeness

Rockford, IL – Sitting two games behind the Traverse City Pit Spitters, the Rockford Rivets needed a comeback win on Saturday night to keep themselves in the running for first place. 

The Rivets combined for a total of 12 hits to rise above the Pit Spitters and come on top with a final score of 8-5 to kick off the month of July. 

After a scoreless first inning on both ends, the Rivets opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second with three hits in a row by Andrew Delaney, Khalil Walker and Matt Mebane. Mebane’s single to right field scored Delaney after he led off the inning with a hit to center field. Aaron Harper brought in another run for the Rivets on a sacrifice fly ball to give Rockford a 2-0 lead. 

Following a 1-2-3 top of the third inning, the Rivets added a run to their lead after Braden Duhon led off the inning when he reached first base due to an error by the Pit Spitters shortstop. Delaney brought in another run for the Rivets giving them a 3-0 lead when he ripped the ball into right field. 

Tommy Henninger (1-0, ERA 5.40) got the start on the mound for the Rivets and earned the win as he pitched four innings while striking out two batters allowing three runs on four hits. 

The Pit Spitters finally reached the board after loading the bases with three hits in a row of their own. With the bases loaded, Brendan Summerhill added the fourth single in a row to score Glenn Miller. Colin Summerhill was brought in during the next at-bat due to a wild pitch and Evan Orzech scored in the same at-bat after a 6-3 ground out to tie the game at three. 

The Rivets answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when Matt Mebane led off the inning with a single to center field. Mebane advanced to second after Tony Lindwedel was walked, then in the next at-bat was brought home on a Harper single to left field to take back the lead, 5-4. 

In the fifth inning, Jack Bell came in for the Rivets to retire the side, and in his two innings pitched he struck out one batter and allowed no runs on no hits. 

After Bell sat down the side, the Rivets continued the momentum into the bottom half of the fifth inning. For the second inning in a row, the Rivets had three singles in a row to score Nick Demarco after his single to center field. Delaney scored in the next at-bat when Mebane grounded out to shortstop. Walker scored the third and final run of the inning on a throw down to second base. 

The Rivets upped the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI walk to put them up 8-3. 

The Pit Spitters scored one run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI walk and a run in the top of the ninth on an error by the shortstop.