By Noah Chavez
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – During a short two-game homestand against the Rockford Rivets, the Royal Oak Leprechauns were firing on all cylinders, grabbing the series sweep and taking both games at The Lucky Corner.
On Sunday evening, the Leprechauns initially trailed in the middle innings, but a seven-run sixth inning propelled them to a 9-3 victory.
After starter Sawyer Cooney pitched the first 5.2 innings, the bullpen shut down the Rivets the rest of the way, holding Rockford to just four hits.
On offense, Royal Oak had contributions from almost everyone, with eight of nine starters tallying at least one hit. The only Leprechaun who was hitless, Steven Cavaco, still reached base every time he was at the plate, drawing four walks.
In terms of multi-hit performances, Connor Larkin and Mason Barth paced the team, with Larkin collecting a single and a double, while Barth tallied a trio of singles as well as a two-bagger.
Larkin, along with Mateo Noto, Michael Zielinski, and Jack Dauer, all had an RBI apiece, while Barth drove in a team-high three RBI.
In the finale of the series, once again the big innings plagued Rockford, however it was also some more consistent scoring from the Leprechauns, leading to an 18-2 blowout for the home side.
Royal Oak not only scored in four consecutive innings from the fourth to the seventh, but also put up multiple innings with six or more runs scored.
During the seven-run fourth inning, Patrick Ilitch cleared the bases on an RBI single combined with an error, and later in the frame Connor Larkin grabbed an RBI in back-to-back games.
In the Leprechauns’ six-run seventh inning, Owen Turner launched his first home run of the season to bring in two, and in a pinch-hit appearance, Tate Deal also drove in a pair on a single.
With the team now riding a three-game winning streak, they will embark on their toughest road trip of the summer, a six-game stretch that has them traveling to Richmond, Traverse City, and Rockford.
Returning home on Tuesday, July 21, they will once again take on the Flying Mummies of Richmond, this time at Memorial Park for the start of a four-game series. First pitch from The Lucky Corner is set for 6:35 p.m. ET.
Tickets can be purchased on the team’s website or at the gate. Fans can also follow the team across all social platforms to stay up to date.
