By: Niall Rosenberg and Kyle Tausk
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — It was a frustrating doubleheader in Kalamazoo for the Rivets.
Despite both games of Tuesday’s scheduled doubleheader between the Rivets and Growlers being tightly contested, the Rivets (4-6) came out on the losing end twice, falling to the first place Growlers (7-2) 6-4 in the first game and 8-4 a few hours later in game two.
Game One:
Game one started off with a Growlers’ early first inning lead. The Rivets responded quickly in the second after Dominic Archila’s (Texas Tech) RBI single scored Cade Climie (Houston) and Jayce Blalock (Arkansas Little-Rock).
The Growlers tied it up with the long ball in the third. Both the Rivets and the Growlers only put two baserunners on in the third and fourth innings.
Both starting pitchers, Jeremiah Holder for Kalamazoo and Aiden Adams (Montreat) for Rockford, were in a boxing match through the first half of game one. This pitching matchup was the story of game one.
Kalamazoo pulled Holder following the fifth. In the sixth, the Rivets loaded the bases with the new pitcher in. With one out, the Rivets were unable to get any runners across. The game remained tied after the biggest chance to break the lead so far.
Defensive woes continue to plague the Rivets. In the bottom half of the sixth, an errant throwdown to second allowed the runner stealing third to also take home. The Growlers added another run from a sacrifice bunt. Kalamazoo broke the stalemate and took the two run lead.
Following another walk, Adams’ game was over. A superb start for the left-hander as he gave up four runs with two being earned. He gave up three hits and walked four and finished with six strikeouts to tie his season high.
The Rivets broke their scoring drought in the seventh with can only be described as a little league moment. An error from the Growlers’ shortstop allowed Jack Scheri (Wabash Valley) to not only take second, but also take third. Scheri saw sloppy play from Kalamazoo and took home, cutting the lead to one.
That one run lead wouldn’t last long. Two batters later, Joe Forbes (Arizona) came up to the plate with Harrison Bowman (Troy) on third. He slashed an RBI single right up the middle, tying the game at four.
The Growlers weren’t done yet. A two-out RBI single gave Kalamazoo the two-run lead back.
The Rivets put five runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings. In the ninth, they had the bases loaded with two outs. They were unable to get any runs across, and fall to the Growlers. The final score of game one was 6-4.
Game Two:
In Game two, both teams were scoreless for the first two innings. In the third, the Rivets missed an opportunity to get on the board first after putting two runners on, but the Growlers didn’t miss theirs in the bottom half.
A pair of RBI singles got the scoring started for Kalamazoo after a leadoff walk to plate two runs. With two in scoring position and two outs, a wild pitch tacked on another to make it a three-run third for the home squad, marking all three games in the series so far in which the Growlers have scored first.
The Rivets quickly responded, though, getting all three runs back in the top of the fourth. Cade Climie (Houston) ripped an RBI double to the wall to get the Rivets on the board before Collin Taylor (Los Angeles Valley) delivered a two-run single to even things right back up.
The Growlers soon retook the lead by mounting a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning with three consecutive singles to score a run. After a stolen base put two in scoring position with two outs, Rivets starter Charlie Kincaid (McLennan) induced a big groundout to limit the damage and end his outing.
The Growlers extended their lead in the fifth on an RBI double off Gus Allred (Northern Colorado), but Allred was again able to prevent a big inning by stranding a runner on third. The Rivets loaded the bases in the top of the sixth but flew out in foul territory to come away empty.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Growlers continued tacking on, first on a sacrifice fly and quickly followed by a long solo home run by right fielder Jayce Lee. Cooper Hinson (Marshall) brought a little bit of life back into the Rivets’ dugout with a two-out RBI single to draw the Rivets within three, but once again the Rockford momentum was short-lived.
The Growlers got the run back in the eighth on an RBI triple, carrying a comfortable four-run lead into the ninth that they shut the door on with a 1-2-3 shutdown frame to seal the victory.
It’s the Growlers’ seventh straight win to move into a 1.5 game first place lead in the Great Lakes East division. Meanwhile, the Rivets have now lost five games in a row — their third losing streak of five games or more already in 2025.
The Rivets will look to salvage the final game of the four-game series in Kalamazoo Wednesday at 5:35 p.m. before returning to Rivets Stadium for a five-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.