By: Kyle Tausk
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Rivets’ 2025 season ended with an entertaining, high-scoring game, but their late comeback effort fell short.
The Rivets (13-24) got off to an early lead but struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark and the Kingfish (17-19) pulled away to close the season with a 12-8 win. The two teams combined for 23 hits in a high-powered offensive sendoff to the Northwoods League’s 2025 campaign but ultimately, the Rivets couldn’t turn enough of them into runs late to close the sizable deficit.
The Kingfish got off to a loud start in the first inning when left fielder Dominic Kibler crushed a solo home run over the right field wall. But the Rivets quickly responded with a crooked number to take control.
Simply putting the ball in play paid big dividends for the Rivets in the top of the second who, despite not hitting a ball particularly hard, strung together four hits and four runs. John Uchytil (Sonoma State) and Drew Girtz (Bethel) led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Sean Sweeney (Binghamton) followed with a third to even the score.
From there, the Rivets used some small ball to put a big inning together. Julian Aguilera (Ecclesia) and Kenny Hirschfeld (Lackawanna) drove in a pair of runs on groundouts, clearing the bases with two outs. But the Rivets put another rally together as after a walk by Ny’zaiah Thompson (Modesto) and a successful hit-and-run pulled off by Joey Appino (Carroll), the Rivets stole a run on a stolen base attempt, with Thompson swiping home on the throw to second.
The Kingfish chipped away at the deficit in the third with a big two-out single but for the time being, Rivets starter Lance Mittelman (St. Peter’s) was able to preserve the Rockford lead. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case an inning later.
The Kingfish stormed out in front in the fourth with a four-run inning, putting together four consecutive hits after a leadoff walk. Despite the big inning, though, Rivets manager Griffin Smith stuck with Mittelman through the sixth and the right-hander found himself an out away from keeping the Kingfish at six. But Kenosha delivered a two-out, two-run triple and later capitalized on an error to extend their lead to five entering the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, the Rivets answered back. Uchytil led off the inning with a single and Girtz quickly put two in scoring position by ripping a double down the line. The Rivets cashed in both runs — first on an error and then on a clutch two-out RBI single by Thompson, making sure Kenosha’s lead was far from comfortable.
Unfortunately, it would get a lot more comfortable again in the bottom of the inning, when Kingfish second baseman Will Matuszak launched his first home run of the season. The two-run shot put the Rivets’ deficit back at five with time running out on both the game and the 2025 season.
The Rivets had their chance in the eighth, loading the bases with an opportunity to really put the pressure on the home squad. But they couldn’t push across a run and the Kingfish added another run of insurance in the bottom half on their third home run of the night.
As rain poured down on Simmons Field in the bottom of the ninth, the Rivets mounted one final rally. They loaded the bases with one out, soon after plating a run on a bases loaded walk drawn by Gavin Taylor (UNLV). Uchytil followed with a sacrifice fly, but the Rivets were unable to complete the comeback and fell to end their season.
Despite four hits from Girtz, two from Uchytil and a pair of RBIs from Aguilera, the Rivets couldn’t quite finish off their 69-game summer in victorious fashion. It was a season of ups and downs for Rockford, but another fun summer of Northwoods League baseball has officially come to a close.
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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.