GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Rockford Rivets (12-7) needed a rally down one run in the top of the ninth, and they got it, to beat the Green Bay Bullfrogs (7-12), 8-7.
Down to their final three outs, the Rivets’ bats woke up. With second and third and just one out in the ninth, Anthony Forte (LSU-Eunice) doubled down the right field line, scoring Brian Klein (Texas Tech) and Patrick Loeffler (Indiana), to give the Rivets the lead. Zack Thomas (Chicago State) retired the Bullfrogs (7-12) in order in the bottom of the ninth to get the win in relief, his third win of the season.
Clay Moffitt (LSU-Eunice) started for Rockford and went five innings, striking out three and allowing three runs (only two earned). Moffitt left the game with the Rivets ahead, 6-3, thanks to a five-run third inning. The big hit in that five-run inning was a two-run home run from Loeffler over the right field fence.
However, the Bullfrogs came back to tie the game with three runs in the seventh inning, all off reliever Jeremy Orbik (Stetson). The Bullfrogs then took the lead on a sacrifice fly from Willie Bourbon (Northwestern) in the eighth off Thomas.
But Rockford didn’t quit. Forte’s two-RBI double proved to be the game-winner, and the Rivets swept the Bullfrogs. Alex Lee (Wabash Valley College) (0-1) blew the save opportunity and took the loss for Green Bay. The Rivets have an off day Monday before playing a home-and-home double-header with the Madison Mallards Tuesday.
The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2017. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals), two-time World Champion Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets) and Lucas Duda (Mets). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com.