By: Noah Chavez

LOVES PARK, Ill. – In what was arguably the most entertaining two-game stretch of Royal Oak Leprechauns baseball so far this summer, the Rockford Rivets took a 9-8 victory on Tuesday night before the Leprechauns offense fired on all cylinders en route to a 21-10 win on Wednesday.

In game one, it was the Rockford offense who got going first, scoring four runs across the first two innings. In the ensuing three frames, Royal Oak would score a lone run in each, but stranded a combined six runners on base.

With the Rivets offense getting the three runs back almost immediately, the Leprechauns found themselves trailing 7-3 heading into the seventh inning. After getting a few runners on base, Aidan Schuck’s second hit of the night drove in a run to cut the deficit down to just three runs.

In the eighth inning with two runners on base, Oliver Service found himself at the plate and lined a ball into left field that not only brought in both runners, but kicked away past the left fielder and allowed Service to reach third base. Just two pitches later, Service once again showed off his tremendous hustle and dove headfirst into home on a Rockford wild pitch to make it a 7-7 game.

After the game headed to extras, it was Service continuing his exceptional night on offense as he drove in Aamir Mitchell to give Royal Oak an 8-7 leading heading into the bottom of the 10th. With their backs against the wall, the Rivets would go on to score a pair and win the game 9-8 as shortstop Jackson Forbes walked it off with an RBI single.

In game two, it was an even more dangerous Leprechauns lineup, as all nine members of the order reached base at least three times. With the help of a solid Spencer Boynton start, an outing that saw him record nine of his 12 outs via strikeout, Royal Oak firmly had control throughout the entire night.

In what is the highest single-game run total by any team in the Northwoods League so far in 2026, it would seem quite difficult to pinpoint one specific player of the game, but on Wednesday night one hitter stood above all with his production: Luke Kosko.

Even as the number seven hitter in the order, Kosko had four extra-base hits in his six at-bats, starting off the game with a pair of doubles before launching home runs in both the fourth and sixth innings. To go along with the hits, Kosko also drove in five runs, scored four times and reached base a fifth time on a walk.  

After his night at the plate, Kosko also earned himself the honor of Northwoods League Player of the Night. It marks the first time a Leprechaun has earned an NWL Player of the Night distinction in 2026, given to the best overall offensive performance across the entire slate of games on a given night.

In terms of other offensive standouts in game two, Oliver Service once again performed well, tallying a home run of his own to go along with a double and a triple, also collecting two RBIs in the process. Additionally, catcher Andrew DiLodovico reached base five times and drove in four of the Leprechauns’ 21 runs.

With the Leprechauns getting their first road trip wrapped up, it is the start of a four-game homestand, with the Richmond Flying Mummies coming to the Lucky Corner for the first time this season. First pitch for Thursday night will be at 6:35 p.m. ET. 

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