By: Emily Tuttle
ROCKFORD, Ill. — On a chilly Saturday night in Rockford, fans huddled in blankets to watch the Rockford Rivets (2-4), who fell 8-4 to the Waterloo Bucks (4-2) and dropped the series.
Maybe the fans stayed for the promise of ‘Firework Joe,’ who provided the best show in the sky known to the area postgame.
Regardless, Rivets manager Bob Koopmann started Baris Brua (UW-Oshkosh) for his second outing of the season after his opening day start. Brua’s three innings got the home team off to a dicey start, with eight hits and six runs scored on three strikeouts.
Fighting from behind and down six in the bottom of the third, the Rivets struggled to get hot on the cold evening. They started to respond in the third, when Colin McCormick (Bradley University) hit a single, Bryce Nevils (John A. Logan CC) walked, then Davis Collie’s (John A. Logan CC) RBI scored McCormick. The Rivets caught a break when an error in left field brought home the other two men, cutting the Bucks’ lead to three.
They had seven hits to Waterloo’s 11 and recorded only singles on the night. Connor Kave (Harper CC) got his first hit as a Rivet, and though Zan Von Schlegell (University of St. Thomas) still waits for his, his patience at the plate earned him two strolls to first.
Koopmann orchestrated a bit of a different lineup tonight, with Jackson Forbes (University of Arizona) and Caleb Rhodes (Olive-Harvey CC) notably not playing for the Rivets. The manager says he will continue to switch up the lineup to see what works best for his team.
“They all need to play,” Koopmann said. “They all need to get their work in. So getting them all opportunities right now is the biggest thing.”
He gave an opportunity to lefty Caden Vogt in the top of the seventh, who relieved Max Woll after his three innings. Vogt went six up, six down, striking out four batters and saying goodbye to each he faced.
Defensively, the infield made some crucial plays. Alex Tabbert (Harper CC) made a sliding grab at second for a quick putout at first, and Von Schlegell had a strong cutoff on a hard-hit ball toward shortstop, turning it for a double play.
Outside of what’s seen on the box score, the men fought at the plate. Oftentimes down in the count, players like Kave, Tabbert and Von Schlegell all had lengthy at-bats, fighting back from down in the count. Their resilience gives Koopmann confidence that they will soon be able to connect and deliver.
“That’s how it’s gone right now, but it turns,” Koopmann said. “That’s how I coach, as far as respecting the game and playing with effort.”
His players have demonstrated that effort, even in a tough series. The Screws have the pieces and hope to string them all together throughout this home stand.
The Rivets will be back at their home field to face the Battle Creek Battle Jacks in a 3:35 pm Sunday matinee.