By: Emily Tuttle
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Rockford Rivets (8-5) opened up a seven-game away trip beginning with the Kalamazoo Growlers (6-11) by erupting in the third inning and pulling away for a 14-9 victory in a high-scoring affair. The win handed Kalamazoo its fifth straight loss while extending Rockford’s winning streak to four games.
Left-hander Keith Eusebio (Paradise Valley CC) started the game just about as well as possible on the mound, retiring the first nine Kalamazoo batters over the first three innings.
His quick start gave the Rivets offense time to come alive. In the top of the third, Gavin Taylor (University of Nevada Las Vegas) led off with a single—the first hit by either team of the night. He was the first of six consecutive batters to reach, all of them eventually also gaining a run.
Taylor added on an emphatic two-run home run to left to put a bow on the eight-run third inning.
The heat continued for the Rivets in the fourth, as the Growlers put a new arm on the mound. Jackson Forbes (University of San Diego) belted an RBI single, which scored Alex Tabbert (Harper CC) from second. Forbes displayed his speed, then stealing both second and third.
Tommy Townsend’s (Xavier University) RBI sac fly brought Forbes home, and Miguel Cantu (Missouri Western State University) added an RBI single in his Rivets debut.
Townsend also cemented himself in the Rivets’ history tonight, becoming third all-time in games played.
But Eusebio lost his command in the bottom of the fourth. After needing just 30 pitches through three innings, he threw more than 35 in the fourth alone while allowing five earned runs.
Nicholas Frontino’s grand slam erased the shutout, and although the Rivets recorded the first two outs on a double play, the inning didn’t end until five batters later. Eusebio also battled through a brief rainstorm before exiting after issuing his fifth walk of the inning, which forced home another run.
The Growlers hit into a double play to gain the first two outs of the inning, but the third wasn’t on the board until five batters later. Eusebio battled through an impromptu rainstorm before exiting the game after dealing his fifth walk of the inning—the final one scoring a run.
He finished with five earned runs, six walks and one strikeout.
Eusebio was replaced by Derek Huber (Illinois-Springfield) for the next 2.1 innings, giving up one hit, run, walk and strikeout.
The Growlers would not be outdone, though, by the Rivets’ strong couple of innings. They added one more in the sixth and three in the eighth to keep the Rivets on their toes.
Bryce Nevils (McNeese State University) answered a 380-foot two-run homer in the seventh, and Davis Collie’s (John A. Logan CC) RBI groundout brought Townsend across the dish after his ground-ruled double.
Each time the Growlers came knocking, the Rivets had an answer.
The Screws defense had a perfect game tonight, allowing no errors. And every batter in the lineup except for Coby Neville (Paradise Valley CC) recorded an RBI, with Nevils leading with three.
The bullpen sent in three more arms for the final three innings to shut down the Growlers for good. Ethan McDonald (Eureka College) did give up three earned runs in the eighth, but Logan Koeller (Florida A&M University) tossed two strikeouts in the ninth to close out the game and solidify the Rivets’ victory.
They face the Growlers again tomorrow in a doubleheader, with games at 11:05 am and 5:35 pm CT.