By Niall Rosenberg
Battle Creek, Mich. — The Rivets are finding life towards the end of the season.
After a fantastic pitching performance last night versus the Battle Jacks (10-19), the Rockford Rivets (12-17) followed it up with another great one. This time, though, it was the bats to have a great night as well. The Rivets sweep the Battle Jacks and now have won four out of their last five games.
Battle Creek got out to the quick lead in the first. Brennan Baker (North Florida) struggled with his command to open the game. The Battle Jacks earned three straight free passes following the leadoff out. An RBI infield single scored the first run, and a sacrifice fly added the second run of the inning.
The Rivets responded in the top of the third inning. A leadoff double from Ny’zaiah Thompson (Modesto) opened the inning. He advanced to third from a groundout, and Tate Shimao (Hawaii) scored Thompson on a single to left. The deficit was cut in half.
Baker pitched well in the second and third innings, only allowing one baserunner. He found trouble in the fourth inning. A leadoff double and a wild pitch put a runner on third.
An RBI single scored the runner, and the Battle Jacks loaded the bases before Baker got out of the jam. Battle Creek regained the two-run lead.
That two-run lead did not last long. The Rivets came storming back in the top of the fifth inning. Back-to-back walks from Kenny Hirschfeld (Lackawanna) and Thompson lead off the inning.
Drew Girtz (Behtel) hit an RBI single to score Hirschfeld. Thompson scored after a throwdown to second, allowing him to take home.
Rockford didn’t stop there. Jackson Forbes (Arizona) hit a sacrifice fly to score Girtz. The fourth and last run of the inning was scored off a RBI single from Cooper Hinson (Marshall).
George Gouriotis (Edgewood) took over for Baker. The Florida native went four innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits and five walks. He finished with a sole strikeout and held the Battle Jacks while his bats could take the lead.
Through Gouriotis’ scoreless fifth and sixth innings, the Rivets were able to extend its lead in the top of the seventh. Forbes smacked a double to score Shimao, and Julian Aguilera (Ecclesia) hit Forbes home with an RBI to make it 7-3.
Rockford continued to take advantage of the Battle Jacks’ bullpen. In the top of the eighth, they added two more runs off of small ball. A fielder’s choice scored Ty Horkan (Keiser), and a sacrifice groundout scored Hirschfeld.
Gouriotis finished his day in the eighth. The right-hander had a stellar performance out of the bullpen, going four innings of scoreless baseball. He gave up only one run and walked two, finishing with three strikeouts.
The Rivets gave up one run in the ninth to an RBI double. Battle Creek did not get any after and got swept by the screws. Rockford has now won their last three games and four of its last five.
The Rivets will return home to take on Kalamazoo for a two-game series starting August 2 at 6:35 p.m.
Fans can purchase tickets to Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.
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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.