By: Kyle Tausk
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Heartbreaker.
In a game in which the Rivets (12-12) and the Battle Jacks (13-12) traded runs all night and were locked into a neck-and-neck affair until the very end, the Battle Jacks emerged victorious thanks to a walk off single, 10-9. The Rivets, who jumped in front early and racked up 12 hits and nine runs, were unable to hold down the Battle Jacks and have now extended their season-long losing skid to four games.
“Unfortunately, when you have a really good game there has to be a loser, and tonight that was us,” head coach Chase Brewster said. “You have to give Battle Creek credit, they battled until the end, and they got the last chance to hit.”
It took just three hitters for the Rivets to jump out to an early lead. After Conner Cunningham (Murray State) was hit by a pitch to start the game and Tate Shimao (Hawaii) hit a double, Ty Waid (McClennan) plated a run on a sacrifice fly. That was then followed by an RBI single off the bat of Jayce Blalock (Arkansas-Little Rock) — his 16th RBI already in just his 10th game — putting the Rivets on top by two after the opening frame.
From there, the teams went back and forth a handful of times in what turned into the most tightly contested battle of the Rivets’ season to date.
The Battle Jacks cut the Rivets’ lead in half on a solo blast by first baseman Keaton Fisher in the second before the Rivets got it back on a throwing error in the fourth. The Battle Jacks answered again on a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game headed to the fifth, during which they drew even at three on an RBI groundout.
In the sixth, Shimao ripped an RBI double — his second double of the game — to put the Rivets back on top. Since returning from injury on June 14, the Rivets’ second baseman is now hitting .389 with four extra base hits.
That lead ended up being short lived for the Rivets, however. The Battle Jacks scored four times in their half of the sixth to take their first lead of the game by three — the largest lead on either side all night. The inning began getting away from Rivets pitcher Aiden Adams (Montreat), who allowed a game-tying RBI single before turning things over to Luke Guest (Northern Colorado).
Guest ran into some trouble of his own, walking in a run before two more scored on a fielder’s choice and an errant throw to first. The four-run inning seemingly set Battle Creek up to take control of the game, but what followed was a late inning seesaw that provided plenty of drama.
The Rivets inched back within one in the seventh on an RBI Double by Nolan Belcher (Kentucky) and a hard liner by Cunningham to score a run that was ruled as an error. The Battle Jacks got one of those runs back on a fielder’s choice.
The Rivets then tied the game in the eighth, notching the first two runs of the season allowed by Battle Jacks relief pitcher Trey Jacobsen, who entered play with a spotless ERA. After loading the bases off Jacobsen, a passed ball and fielder’s choice brought the game to an 8-8 tie for the Rivets’ offense.
The teams would trade runs yet again, with Battle Creek pushing back ahead by one on another fielder’s choice before the Rivets answered back to tie things up in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Blalock.
That set up the home team with a chance to end the game — and they delivered. After an error put the leadoff man on and a sacrifice bunt and stolen base got him to third, Battle Jacks right fielder Albert Jennings hit a walk off RBI single to center to end the game and break the hearts of those in Rockford’s dugout.
Despite a productive offensive night, the Rivets just could not put together the shutdown inning they needed on the mound to keep Battle Creek off the board. The Battle Jacks scored at least one run in each of the final six innings and seemingly every Rivets rally was immediately answered throughout the night.
The Rivets’ winning percentage is now at .500 at 12-12 for the first time all season after their losing streak has reached four games. With just nine games remaining in the Northwoods League’s first half, they’ve now fallen to fourth place in the Great Lakes East division, although are still only a game back of first.
“Tomorrow is a new day, and we got a chance to play baseball,” Brewster said. “It’s hard to do much more than to come back out and give ourselves a chance to win. We have to fight back and turn this around for the last nine games [of the first half].”
They’ll hope to finally snap their extended skid in a rematch with the Battle Jacks tomorrow at 12:35 p.m. before returning to Rockford for a four-game homestand. 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.