By: Kyle Tausk
ROCKFORD, Ill. — The Rivets’ three-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday.
Wildness on the mound doomed the Rivets (12-18) in the weekend series opener against the Growlers (17-13), ultimately culminating in a blowout loss, 14-5. The Growlers took advantage of a tough pitching night by the home squad, putting tons of traffic on the basepaths and growing their lead throughout the game, while the Rivets were held mostly quiet at the plate and failed to draw close enough to put the pressure on.
“We have to do better on all facets,” Rivets manager Griffin Smith said. “It’s especially frustrating with how we’ve played the past few days, how much we’ve competed in all of that.”
The game got off to an unfortunate start for the Rivets, who should’ve been out of the top of the first without allowing a run if not for an unfortunate miscue. With runners on first and third and two out to begin the game, Nyzaiah Thompson (Modesto) and Drew Girtz (Bethel) converged on a fly ball but a miscommunication allowed it to drop between them, scoring the game’s first run.
Fortunately, Girtz retrieved it and fired it in to the cutoff man who delivered a strike to the plate, cutting down a potential second run and holding the Growlers to just one. But that wasn’t the case in the second.
Walks bit Rivets starter James Davis Gaston (West Alabama), who loaded the bases exclusively via free passes in the top of the second. That set up Growlers shortstop Noah Coy for a two-run double, followed soon by a sacrifice fly to plate three in the inning for Kalamazoo.
Gaston’s seven walks made it a short night for the right-hander, who departed in the third after 2.1 innings, leaving two runners on. Gus Allred (Northern Colorado) entered mid-count, quickly loading the bases, before the Growlers added another run on a wild sacrifice fly that resulted in a double play, but scoring one first.
The floodgates remained open for Kalamazoo from there. In the fifth, a controversial safe call on a play at third wiped away what would’ve been the third out of the frame and the Growlers took advantage, coming through with a two-run single to extend their lead to seven.
Another outfield miscue allowed the road team’s lead to grow again in the sixth, as a two-out fly ball was misplayed by Thompson in center — a two base error that allowed another run to come across and kept the inning alive for an RBI single to follow. It was a sloppy defensive night for the Rivets, committing three total errors that all contributed to runs.
“When guys are as wild as they are, you have to play flawless defense,” Smith said. “It takes a mental toughness all around. We’ve got to make some plays when our pitchers are throwing like that.”
Meanwhile, the Rivets were held quiet offensively for much of the night against Growlers starter Jack Crittendon, who allowed just two hits through his first five, very efficient scoreless innings. But Rivets finally put a threat together in the sixth and cashed in big time, ultimately chasing the righty from the game before it was over.
Tate Shimao (Hawaii) led off the inning with a double, moving to third on an infield hit by Jackson Forbes (Arizona). Cooper Hinson (Marshall) drove in the Rivets’ first run on a fielder’s choice before Girtz ripped an RBI double down the line — his second extra base hit of the night. Collin Taylor (Los Angeles Valley CC) followed with a sacrifice fly and after Crittendon’s departure, a wild pitch scored Girtz to cap off a four-run dent put into the Growler lead.
The Growlers got one back in the seventh, loading the bases on a double, walk and hit by pitch before drive in a run on a sac fly of their own. But Jake Gibson (Daytona State) did well to prevent a big inning, stranding the bases loaded in his only inning of work.
But the game would soon become out of reach in the eighth when the Growlers tacked on four more runs thanks to more Rivets wildness. Four walks, a single, and a pair of wild pitches stifled any hopes of a Rockford comeback, putting the Growlers up an insurmountable double digits.
“I think it’s just a contagious thing,” Smith said. “Just because your starter doesn’t go out and throw strikes, that means the guy after them needs to come out and compete even more and get us all back to where we need to be.”
Jackson Forbes drove in a fifth Rivets run in the ninth on a groundout before the Growlers secured the final out. Girtz hit two doubles, Forbes added two hits and Gavin Taylor (UNLV) reached base all four times to the plate, but the Rivets couldn’t string much together outside of their one breakthrough inning.
The loss snaps the Rivets’ three-game winning streak and continues Kalamazoo’s dominance in the season series, which concludes on Sunday. The Growlers have beaten the Rivets nine out of 11 times in 2025 to date, most coming in lopsided fashion.
“You got to wake up and go to work the next day and go do your job and try to win,” Smith said. “I’m still trying to make the playoffs. If that means we’ve got to go win our next eight, that means we got to go win our next eight.”
The Rivets and Growlers will meet for the final time this season on Sunday at Rivets Stadium at 1:05 p.m before the Rivets head on the road to begin the final week of the Northwoods League season.
Fans can purchase tickets to 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.