By: Emily Tuttle

MEQUON, WI. — The Rockford Rivets (10-19) headed up north for a home-and-home series against the Lakeshore Chinooks (13-13), staying within striking distance all night until the Chinooks finally ran away with it late. They pulled ahead by two in the bottom of the eighth, and the Rivets had no response, falling 8-6. 

On the mound tonight, it was Matt Steinberg (Manhattan College) getting his sixth start. Rivets manager Bob Koopmann typically lets Steinberg work as deep into games as possible, feeding him four tonight. He let the Chinooks get off to a quick lead in the first, with four hits. 

Steinberg entered for the second, down three runs after a lengthy first inning. He turned his momentum around quickly, though, throwing two strikeouts in the frame, with three batters up and three batters down. 

It was Bryce Nevils (John A. Logan CC), in the 2-hole, who put bat to ball first for the Rivets. He singled, then continued his strong base running to steal second, then later third. Koopmann has mentioned Nevils as one of the smartest players he’s coached, in terms of baseball IQ. Nevils’ knowledge on the base path allowed him to add two more snagged bags on the night, bringing his season total to 24. 

Caleb Rhodes (Olive-Harvey CC) then drove in Nevils with an RBI single, and the Rivets continued to chip away at the Chinooks’ lead. In the third, bases were loaded with two outs, and Lakeshore’s pitcher walked Beau Bloxdordf to add on another run. 

Atop the fourth, Tommy Townsend (Xavier University) belted an RBI single to score Nevils again. Townsend, who has 30 strikeouts this season, had two hits and three RBIs on the night, a necessary lift for the third-year Rivet. 

Keith Eusebio (Paradise Valley CC) took over for Steinberg in the fifth inning. It was his first relief appearance and his sixth appearance this season. Eusebio gifted his first batter a strikeout and went on for a 1-2-3 inning to give the Rivets offense some hope. 

The Chinooks, up 5-3 entering the seventh, and the Rivets still had some work to do. But Zan Von Schlegell (University of St. Thomas) singled, and it was Davis Collie’s (John A. Logan CC) RBI double that brought him across the plate. 

However, it seemed like when the Rivets got close, the Chinooks always had an answer. In the bottom of the seventh, a walk turned to a run when a runner advanced on a fly out. The Chinooks brought that runner home on a passed ball by Rivets catcher Dasaan Lee (Grambling State University). 

The Rivets had yet again more catching up to do in the eighth, with batters 9, 1 and 2 due up. Those first three batters reached in the inning, starting with Connor Kave (Harper CC), who pinch-hit for Lee. He advanced on a bunt single. Jackson Forbes (University of San Diego) took the free pass, and Nevils also managed a bunt single. 

Though Rhodes hit a single, a swift fielder’s choice was in time at home plate to get Kave out. The bases were still loaded. Townsend gained his second and third RBI of the night with a grounder to shortstop. What looked like it would be a double play, after Rhodes was out at second, turned into a positive sort of mayhem for the Rivets when the throw to first was way off.

But as it was the entire game, the Chinooks had an answer when the Rivets tied it. An error from Von Schlegell allowed a runner to reach, when it should have been chalked up as the second out of the inning. 

A double, then an off-the-wall two-run double put the Chinooks back in the driver’s seat heading into the top of the ninth, where they hoped they wouldn’t return for the bottom of the inning. 

Chinooks right-hander Zach Gibbs did just that, striking out each batter he faced in the top of the ninth, recording his second save of the season.

The Rivets will show the Chinooks their home field tomorrow, traveling from Mequon back to Rockford for the second game of the series on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.