ROYAL OAK, Mich. — The Rivets couldn’t quite deliver an encore to their Fourth of July fireworks show.

After Friday’s holiday thriller at Rivets Stadium, the Rivets’ momentum cooled a bit as they began their six-game road trip by falling to the Leprechauns 9-3 in Royal Oak. The Leprechauns (2-3) grinded down the Rivets early with a flurry of two-out damage and cruised to a comfortable home victory to slow the Rivets’ red-hot start to the second half.

After retiring the first two hitters he faced in the first inning, things unraveled for Rivets starting pitcher Brennan Baker (North Florida), who was making his summer debut. Six consecutive Leprechauns hitters reached base with two outs on four walks and a pair of singles — the second of which drove in two runs.  Baker was removed from the game before the inning concluding after throwing 41 pitches.

Aiden Adams (Montreat) took over on the mound and allowed a third run to score on a wild pitch before getting out of the lengthy opening frame. But Royal Oak would continue growing its lead off the Rockford southpaw.

In the second, the Leprechauns began the inning by notching back-to-back doubles to score another run. Adams was able to record two outs before the two-out woes struck again in the form of three straight two-out hits for the Leprechauns that plated two more runs, extending their lead to seven after just two innings.

After loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth, the Leprechauns continued their early onslaught with two more runs on a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch. Control problems haunted the Rivets’ pitching staff early on as they walked 10 hitters in the game’s first four innings.

Meanwhile, Leprechauns starter Preston Barr mowed down the Rivets’ lineup over four perfect innings, striking out nine total Rivets including seven in a row at one point. Despite being taken out after throwing just 50 pitches, it was certainly the most dominant pitching performance an opposing pitcher has put together against Rockford this season.

It wasn’t until a two-out double by Tommy Townsend (Butler) in the fifth that the Rivets finally got their first baserunner of the game. They got on the board for the first time in the sixth by putting together a three-run inning, though they got some help from the Leprechauns in doing so.

Three walks loaded the bases for the Rivets to mount their first legitimate scoring threat in the game, and an errant back pick attempt by Leprechauns catcher Parker McDaniel brought the first Rockford run across. A two-run single by Townsend soon followed — the only Rivets hit of the inning despite the relatively crooked scoring number. Townsend’s two hits were the only two hits the Rivets mustered up the entire night.

Relievers Hunter Bell (Alcorn State), James Davis Gaston (West Alabama) and Connor Clark (Butler CC) did an excellent job reigning in the Leprechauns’ offense to give the Rivets a chance to inch closer, combining for five scoreless innings after the early barrage. The damage had already been done, though, and the deficit was just too big for the Rivets to overcome.

The Rivets managed just two baserunners after the sixth — an eighth inning hit by pitch taken by Cade Climie (Houston). Leprechauns reliever Gavin Moczydlowsky finished the game just how his teammate began it, blowing his stuff by the Rivets’ hitters to record a three-inning, six-strikeout save.

After a monster offensive series against Battle Creek during which the Rivets scored 26 runs in two games, they were completely shut down for the majority of Saturday’s series opener in Royal Oak. At 4-2 to begin the second half, the Rivets remain in first place in the Great Lakes East division despite the loss.

The Rivets and Leprechauns will rematch on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. before the Rivets head off to Kalamazoo to begin a four-game road series against the Growlers. Fans can purchase tickets for Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.

###

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.