By: Christopher Rodriguez

Traverse City, MI. —  The Rivets (1-2) traveled to Traverse City for their first road trip of the season, as the pitching struggles from the night before made their way into Michigan.

The Pit Spitters (2-1) took full control in the late innings, defeating the Rivets 9-4 with 15 total strikeouts through their rotation of pitchers. Rockford allowed 9 total walks, which proved too costly, putting the Pit Spitters in scoring positions.

On the mound for the Rivets was right-handed pitcher William Ho (Morton College), who lasted five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with a strikeout.

The Pit Spitters loaded the bases in the bottom of the second after a hit would nail Ho in the back of the thigh, temporarily delaying the game for medical attention. Ho remained in the game and got the Rivets out of the inning with a double play.

Traverse City left five runners stranded on base through the first two innings, but took advantage in the bottom of the third off a miscued pickoff attempt, sending their runner from first to third base. Their hitters followed with three straight singles, bringing in two total runs to make it 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pit Spitters continued playing small ball, driving in another run on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 3-0.

The Rivets responded quickly in the fifth inning, loading the bases after back-to-back hits by pitches with only one out. Colin McCormick (Bradley University) then belted a two-run single into center field, leading his team with five RBIs through three games thus far. Caleb Rhodes (Olive-Harvey College) rocketed a two-run triple the next at-bat, putting the Rivets ahead 4-3 and earning his second hit of the season.

The Pit Spitters evened things up in the bottom of the seventh, with an RBI double off left-handed pitcher Caden Vogt (McHenry County CC) that was sent into right field.

Right-handed pitcher Jack Kerpan (St. Ambrose University) relieved Vogt in the bottom of the eighth, where the Pit Spitters drew four walks through five batters to take the lead. Right-handed pitcher Max Woll (Dakota State University) took over the mound for the remainder of the inning, where Traverse City tacked on four more runs, which included a bases-clearing double to make it 9-4.

In the final three innings of the game, the Rivets struck out seven times as the bats went cold after scoring 19 runs in 23 innings. Traverse City’s pitching rotation for the night ended just three shy of tying the strikeout record in their program’s history.

The Rivets now sit at 1-2 to begin the early season. They’ll take on the Pit Spitters in the series finale Thursday at 6:05 p.m. before returning to Rockford for six-straight home games.