By: Kyle Tausk
Kenosha, Wis. — The Rivets’ bats were held quiet in the final leg of their five-game road trip.
Mustering just two runs and six hits on the afternoon, the Rivets (4-3) were handled by the Kenosha Kingfish (4-3) in the first game of a two-game home-and-home series on Sunday, 8-2.
The Rivets’ lineup couldn’t figure out Kenosha starting pitcher Maximus McClellan as the righty had his way, striking out seven across his five innings of shutout work. The Rivets failed to put much of a scoring threat together until the final two innings in what quickly turned into a struggle at the plate for most of the day.
AJ Malzone (Wabash Valley) and Ethan Delgado (Ecclesia) delivered the Rivets’ first two hits of the afternoon in the fifth but were soon stranded. Malzone notched another hit in the seventh and was the only Rivet to reach base three times, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
The Rivets were able to avoid being shutout for the first time this season in the eighth when Kolby Felix (Colorado Mesa) lined an RBI double over the head of the Kenosha center fielder. Tommy Townsend (Butler) also notched his team-leading sixth RBI on a groundout in the Rivets’ only scoring frame of the day.
On the other side, Kenosha had plenty of traffic on the basepaths. The Kingfish — the current leader in walks drawn in the Northwoods League — drew nine more free passes and were hit by three pitches from the Rivets’ pitching staff and began cashing them in with timely hitting in the middle and later innings. Rockford starter Alexander Llinas (Nova Southeastern) was able to hold the Kingfish off the board for the first three despite multiple jams, but the Kingfish offense finally broke through in the fourth on a two-out, two-run single by right fielder Jadan Boyce.
Llinas gave way to Gideon Motes (Michigan) who ran into trouble in the fifth and allowed the Kingfish to break the game open with four runs — two of them earned. Braydon Cooper (Rock Valley) pitched a scoreless sixth but was responsible for two inherited runners that scored on a two-run double in the seventh. Brex Caldwell (Oklahoma State) worked for the second consecutive day and was the only Rivet pitcher not charged with an earned run in his two innings.
Kingfish third baseman Dayton Murphy was the primary offensive charge in the box against the Rivets on Sunday, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI.
Ultimately, the Rivets dug themselves too deep of a hole to climb out of despite some late signs of life at the plate. Their two-run eighth inning can hopefully serve as a positive on an otherwise frustrating afternoon, while they also left two in scoring position in the ninth inning to end the game after a handful of long plate appearances.
With the loss, Rockford finishes off its five-game road trip in three different cities 2-3. The Rivets still sit above .500 at 4-3 overall, however, and are currently in a three-way tie for second place in the Great Lakes East division as the first week of the 2025 Northwoods League season comes to a close.
The Rivets will now return home to Rivets Stadium for a three-game homestand, beginning with game two of the home-and-home series against the Kingfish on Monday at 11:05 a.m. Fans can purchase tickets for Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.
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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.