By: Larry Larson
The Rockford Rivets used two late runs and a shutout effort from three bullpen pitchers to down the Kokomo Jackrabbits 2-1 on Tuesday night at Kokomo Municipal stadium.
With the win, Rockford improves its record to 3-5 and drops Kokomo to 4-5.
For the first time in six games, a Rivets starter didn’t give up a run in the first two innings, as Jared Herzog (Fr, Rockford University) kept the Jackrabbits off the scoreboard until the 5th inning.
The ‘Rabbits scratched across their lone run on an RBI single by Raymond Hilbrich (So, Purdue Northwest), before Herzog stranded two more runners on first and second to end the frame.
Herzog pitched a scoreless sixth inning to finish his second start of the season with a line of 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 3 walks and 1 strikeout.
The Screws would pull even in the first at-bat of the 7th inning, when Blake Mozley (So, Missouri State) pounded a moonshot solo homer over the right field fence. The blast marked the team’s first home run of the season.
In the 8th, Rockford manufactured the go-ahead run after Jared Cushing (R-Fr, Xavier) drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Dylan Robertson (Fr, Western Iowa Community College).
The Rivets would leave the bases loaded, but the bullpen did the rest of the work. Tucker Shalley (Fr, Illinois) tossed a 1-2-3 8th inning and Chan Yao-Ming set down Kokomo in order in the 9th inning to record his first save in the United States and seal the deal for Rockford.
Cade Turner (Fr, Illinois-Springfield) picked up his first victory of the season after hurling a scoreless 7th inning, and Brock Begesha (Fr, Dayton) was charged with the loss for being responsible for both of Rockford’s runs.
The Rivets and ‘Rabbits will run it back tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. eastern time. Rockford returns home Thursday night to take on the Kenosha Kingfish at 6:05.
