By: Niall Rosenberg
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — The Rivets seem to be the Leprechaun’s pot of gold.
After losing last night to the Leprechauns (3-3), it was the Rivets’ (4-3) chance to split the series before a big four-game series against the Growlers. After a back-and-forth affair that included two different rain delays, it was the Leprechauns who came in clutch in the latter half of the innings to secure the win 9-5. The Rivets are now 3-7 this season against Royal Oak.
The Rivets’ kryptonite so far in the second half of the season has been errors. With runners in scoring position and two outs, an error allowed the first run of the game to score. Another run came across, and the Rivets went down two following the second inning.
After not scoring until the sixth inning yesterday, the Rivets opened their scoring in the third. With Ny’zaiah Thompson (Modesto) on second, Joe Forbes (Arizona) came up to the plate. Forbes hit an RBI single to center and cut the Leprechauns’ lead in half. The high school senior picked up his seventh RBI in just four games this season.
The screws stayed hot in the fourth. Conner Cunningham (Murray State) roped a ground rule double while the bases were loaded to give his team the lead. The Rivets took their first lead against the Leprechauns since the matchup on June 15.
The lead was short-lived. In the bottom half of the fourth, the Leprechauns scored three runs of their own. Two came from an RBI double, and the third came off a wild pitch.
The weather made other plans for the rest of the inning. A rain delay paused play for a half hour before picking back up. The Rivets found themselves back from the delay with the bases loaded for the Leprechauns. A strikeout got them out of the inning.
A delay meant a new pitcher for the Rivets. It was Jake Gibson (Daytona State) who came on to replace the starter, Mason Binder (Willamette).
Binder, in his 3.2 innings of work, struggled to keep batters from crossing the plate. He gave up five runs, with three of them earned. He finished with four hits and two walks given up to a single strikeout.
The Rivets kept their bats dry and hot following the rain. A triple from Tommy Townsend (Xavier) scored Tate Shimao (Hawaii), and a single from Jack Scheri (Wabash Valley) scored Townsend. The Rivets quickly tied the game at five through five.
In an unlucky turn of events, the rain came back and the game was delayed once again. This delay lasted for over an hour, leading to another pitching change. Gus Allred (Northern Colorado) came in to replace Gibson.
Gibson was solid in relief. The submariner pitched 1.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit, and finished with three strikeouts to two walks.
The Leprechauns came out strong from the delay. In the sixth, an RBI single gave them the lead back. In the seventh, they added three more runs to build their lead to four going into the eighth.
Allred struggled following Gibson, giving up three runs in 1.2 innings. The Rivets’ bullpen struggled after a solid last five innings of work last night.
After tying the game in the fifth, the Rivets did not put another run on the board. They struggled to keep up with Royal Oak’s bats and got swept by the Leprechauns.
The Rivets now fall to 4-3 on the season with a four-game series in Kalamazoo set to start tomorrow. 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.