By: Kyle Tausk
Green Bay, Wis. — After a two-game home sweep to begin the season, the Rivets brought their winning ways on the road to jumpstart a five-game road trip.
In a matchup of 2-0 teams, it was the Rivets who remained undefeated on the young season, holding off the Green Bay Rockers 11-8 in a nearly four-hour, rain-filled Wednesday night battle.
The Rivets took advantage of some wild Green Bay pitching on their way to an 11-run showing offensively, drawing 13 walks and getting hit by six pitches in a merry-go-round at times on the base paths. It was the most productive showing by Rockford’s lineup to date, marking an early season-high in runs (11), hits (10) and baserunners (29).
The scoring began for the Rivets, though, on a power showcase in the second inning. Jackson Forbes (Arizona) blasted the first Rivets home run of the season — a two-run shot over the right field wall — to give Rockford the lead before Tate Shimao (Hawaii) sent the very next pitch off the scoreboard for a long ball of his own. Those back-to-back jacks gave the Rivets a lead they wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the night.
In the fourth, the Rivets plated six runs to break the game open despite only recording one hit. A two-run single by Ny’zaiah Thompson (Modesto) was the only knock of the frame amid three walks and four hit batters that brought 10 total Rivets to the plate in the game’s most decisive inning.
The Rivets’ pitching staff battled control issues of their own, issuing 13 walks and a handful of wild pitches that allowed the Rockers to inch closer in the middle and late innings. Alexander Llinas (Nova Southeastern) got the start for Rockford and lasted 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks before giving way to five different Rivets bullpen arms.
The unsung hero of the night was undoubtedly Reece Tarini (Louisiana Tech), who got the final eight outs on the mound and had to work around some serious traffic to do so. Head Coach Chase Brewster turned to the lefty with two in scoring position and only one out in the seventh and Tarini answered the bell, striking out two in a row to end the threat. In the eighth, Tarini escaped a bases loaded jam allowing just one run to stave off a mounting Green Bay rally before locking down the final three outs in the ninth to close things out for the save.
After reaching base four times in Tuesday’s win over the Pit Spitters, Tommy Townsend (Butler) found first base five more times in this game, bringing his team-leading on-base percentage to .733 across the first three games. Cal Jones (Henderson State) — who made his Rivets debut — and Kolby Felix (Colorado Mesa) each collected two hits while Forbes, Shimao, Thompson and Adison Worthman (Parkland) all drove in two runs apiece.
The Rivets are one of just three Northwoods League teams to begin the 2025 season 3-0. They’ll conclude their two-game series in Green Bay tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. before continuing their road trip in Wisconsin Rapids and Kenosha through the weekend.
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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. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 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, 360 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 (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. 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.