Rivets Beat Battle Jacks in Back-And-Forth Slugfest, Snap Losing Streak
Northwoods Rockford Rivets

Rivets Beat Battle Jacks in Back-And-Forth Slugfest, Snap Losing Streak

July 26, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rockford Rivets News Release


ROCKFORD, Ill. - Losing streak: over.

In a dramatic, back-and-forth slugfest, the Rivets (9-16) finally snapped their seven-game losing streak back at home with a come-from-behind 13-11 victory over the Battle Jacks (9-14). The two teams traded offensive blows throughout the night, but the Rivets were able to come up with the decisive one on a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, securing a much-needed slump-busting win.

"We've been gritty recently," Rivets manager Griffin Smith said. "We just needed some stuff to go our way and it did. We relied on some efficient offense, which was awesome, and a couple really, really big swings."

The Battle Jacks got on the board first in loud fashion in the opening frame. After inducing a double play, it looked as if Rivets starter Danny Cercello (Houston) was going to work an efficient first inning, but the Battle Jacks instead jumped on him, putting two on via a walk and single before right fielder Sam Kane blasted a three-run home run just inside the left field foul pole to put the road team in front by three to start the game.

The Rivets answered just an inning later, though, with an offensive onslaught against Battle Jacks' right-hander Ty Heflin, forcing him out of the game after a 35-pitch second inning. Five runs came across on five hits to storm the Rivets out in front.

A hit by pitch and walk put two on with one out, setting up Lance Mittelman - normally a pitcher for the Rivets with just two at bats all season entering play - who ripped an RBI double to the opposite field to get the Rivets on the board. With two outs, the Rivets came through with three consecutive hits including a two-run single by Cooper Hinson (Marshall) and a two-run double by Collin Mowry (Louisville), capping off the highest-scoring inning since last weekend for Rockford's offense.

A triple and a wild pitch almost immediately got one of those runs back for Battle Creek in the top of the third. But Cercello was able to strand a runner on second with nobody out to preserve the Rivets' slim lead.

That lead would soon grow in the bottom half due to some Battle Creek wildness on the mound. The Rivets drew five walks in their half of the third, only needing one hit - an RBI single by Jackson Forbes - along with a throwing error and a sac fly by Hinson to plate three more runs and extend their lead to four. Eight runs already marked a high mark in scoring for the Rivets' offense since July 26.

"I would just say mature. Mature at bats," Smith said. "Just being gritty and finding a way."

It would be a constant back-and-forth between the two teams from there as the Battle Jacks quickly tied the game with a four-run fourth, beginning with a mammoth home run by catcher Ryker Galaska that opened the floodgates for three more hits and two wild pitches to even the score. The Rivets were able to keep the game tied, however, thanks to a rocket throw from right fielder Drew Girtz (Bethel) to double off a runner at the plate.

Girtz immeditaley followed up the run-saving defensive play by scoring a run to give the Rivets their lead right back, coming around to score on a throwing error after ripping a leadoff single. But that lead would once again last only a short time after a two-out RBI double by the Battle Jacks in the fifth drew it right back even at nine.

After the Rivets posted the first scoreless half inning by either side since the second in their half of the fifth, the Battle Jacks finally retook the lead on a two-run single off new Rivet Will Paxton (St. Peter's).

Another brand new Rivet, Julian Aguilera (Ecclesia) picked up his first RBI in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to get one of the two back. With the Rivets still trailing by one in the seventh, the biggest swing of the night happened on a night where there were many.

Collin Mowry sent a no-doubt two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Rivets the lead, flipping his bat in celebration for good measure. In what has been a slow summer at the plate for the Louisville catcher, he broke out in a huge way on Saturday, reaching base all five times at the plate to go along with his eventual game-winning blast.

"In recent games, I've been trying to do a little too much with that pitch," Mowry said. "My whole approach was just to hit something hard over the middle and he left an 0-2 pitch over the plate and I got a pretty good swing on it."

The Rivets were gifted a little breathing room in the eighth on the Battle Jacks' third error of the night, scoring an important insurance run. That left just three outs to get with a two-run lead to hold - and the Rivets got it done.

On a night where good pitching was hard to find, the performance of Gus Allred (Northern Colorado) shouldn't be overlooked either. The big lefty entered the game in the seventh and posted three scoreless frames to shut the door on the victory, picking up the win in the process.

The recent high-intensity meetings between the Rivets and Battle Jacks have had no shortage of runs, with this 24-run outburst making it 70 combined runs between the two squads in their last three meetings. Luckily for the Rivets, they've found ways to come away with wins in all three. And this one felt particularly good after a nightmarish seven-game road trip.

"Every day matters, everything matters, every at bat matters," Smith said. "Just trying to find that why every time you step up to the plate, if your head is in the right spot, some things will go in your favor a little bit more often."

The Rivets will look to build on their now four-game home winning streak on Sunday in a rematch against the Battle Jacks. First pitch from Rivets Stadium is at 1:05 p.m.

Fans can purchase tickets for Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.



Northwoods League Stories from July 26, 2025


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