By: Emily Tuttle

RICHMOND, IN — After the first off day of the season, the Rockford Rivets (8-9) took their talents to Richmond to continue their series against the Flying Mummies (9-8). In a game that seemed out of reach by the end of the seventh, the Rivets mounted their comeback horse and scored seven runs in the top of the eighth. In an ensuing back-and-forth matchup going 12 innings, though, the Mummies walked off the game, 14-13.

The Rivets struck first, but then let their foot off the gas for quite some time. It was a leadoff single by Connor Kave (Harper CC), then strategic base running, stealing second and third, to put him 90 feet from home. Zan Von Schlegell (University of St. Thomas) brought him across the plate with an RBI single. 

But in the bottom of the first, Richmond had some successful base running of their own. Prince Debowski stole two bags—and would go on to steal six on the night—as an RBI groundout allowed him to score. 

Knotted at one, Richmond’s Jackson Cliatt belted a double, which quickly turned into a sort of infield home run after an error by River Lindsay (Bradley University) in left. The electric play characterized the Flying Mummies’ offense, and unfortunately, the errors plagued the Rivets’ defense. 

They gave up runs to Richmond with wild pitches, misfires on stolen base attempts and fielding miscues through more than half of the contest.

Baris Brua (UW-OshKosh), starting pitcher for the Rivets, was up and down through his four innings. He tossed a quick 1-2-3 inning in the second, but lost a bit of control in the fourth. He walked only two, but one of them led to score on an RBI single. Brua allowed seven runs, six of them earned when Richmond got hot in the fourth. 

They recorded multiple back-to-back singles, and the Rivets ended the inning down four. 

Richmond continued their fluid momentum in the next inning, off the glove of Rowan Smyth (Lewis University). Smyth recorded his second outing as a Rivet and only lasted one inning. Through his first 11 pitches, 10 of them missed the zone. He struggled to gain command and finished with two earned runs and two walks. 

But in classic Rivets fashion, they had a little something up their sleeve in the late innings. 

In the top of the eighth, 12 Rivets came to the plate. With the bases juiced, the first run was off a wild pitch. Mummies’ reliever Jacob Bardwell failed to control his pitches, issuing bases-loaded walks that allowed the Rivets to chip away at the deficit. 

Kave’s two-RBI single brought the Rivets within three. More walks allowed players to stroll across home plate. Davis Collie’s (John A. Logan CC) single brought home another. And Keith Eusebio’s (Paradise Valley CC) sac fly tied the game at 10. 

The Rivets were alive. 

Ben Buehring (UW-OshKosh) entered the game in the bottom of the ninth, commanding the mound, and a menace to all batters faced. He recorded seven strikeouts in just three innings, helping defensively as the Rivets’ offense sprang to life. 

The tug of war waned back and forth. Rivets scored. Mummies scored. Heading to the bottom of the 12th tied at 13, pitcher Michael Boyce (Parkland CC) entered the game for his first-ever Rivets outing. 

He walked his first batter, and a wild pitch allowed the ghost runner to head to third. After an intentional walk, the bases were loaded for the young pitcher. He fired the ball over catcher Jonathan Hartline’s (Kishwaukee CC) head. It soared toward the backstop as the runner headed toward the plate for the walk-off Mummies win. 

The contest featured droughts, defensive struggles, offensive explosions, pitching woes and tactical base running before ending poorly for Rockford. 

But the Rivets will continue their series against the Flying Mummies, looking for some revenge at 5:35 pm on Friday.