GREEN BAY, Wis – The Rockford Rivets bats came alive on Thursday night as two home runs aided a fine start by Max Frederick (Lackawanna CC) as the Rivets beat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 11-6 to stay alive in the south division playoff race at Joannes Stadium.
After a Neal Tyrell (Lewis University) solo home run to lead off the game was matched by a groundout by Brian Lees (SE Missouri State), the Rivets got to Bullfrogs starter Matt Ellenbest (Morehead State) in the third. Braden Williams (Texas Tech) reached on an error, Tyrell doubled, and David Cronin (Illinois-Chicago) knocked both runners in with a single off of Ellenbest (4-3), who later balked Cronin in from third in the inning. Cory Wright (Parkland CC) would later single home Ryan Long (Texas Tech) to make it 5-1.
After the Rivets got a run in the fourth, they put the game away in the sixth. Tyrell and Cronin both singled, setting the stage for Ricardo Ramirez (Illinois-Chicago) to launch a three-run home run to left to make it 9-1.
Meanwhile, Frederick (1-1) was cruising. He went eight innings, and allowed just five hits and five runs, three of which came in the eighth on a home run by Colton Onstott (Dodge City CC), but by then the Rivets had all but wrapped it up.
The Rivets will continue their final regular season road trip against the Green Bay Bullfrogs at Joannes Stadium Friday night at 7:05. Broadcasts and live streams can be found at NorthwoodsLeague.com.
Rockford is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets), Lucas Duda (Mets) and Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com. For more information, visit RockfordRivets.com.