
Rivets Dominate Pit Spitters in Race for First Place
July 2, 2023 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rockford Rivets News Release
Rockford, IL - Sitting two games behind the Traverse City Pit Spitters, the Rockford Rivets needed a comeback win on Saturday night to keep themselves in the running for first place.
The Rivets combined for a total of 12 hits to rise above the Pit Spitters and come on top with a final score of 8-5 to kick off the month of July.
After a scoreless first inning on both ends, the Rivets opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second with three hits in a row by Andrew Delaney, Khalil Walker and Matt Mebane. Mebane's single to right field scored Delaney after he led off the inning with a hit to center field. Aaron Harper brought in another run for the Rivets on a sacrifice fly ball to give Rockford a 2-0 lead.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the third inning, the Rivets added a run to their lead after Braden Duhon led off the inning when he reached first base due to an error by the Pit Spitters shortstop. Delaney brought in another run for the Rivets giving them a 3-0 lead when he ripped the ball into right field.
Tommy Henninger (1-0, ERA 5.40) got the start on the mound for the Rivets and earned the win as he pitched four innings while striking out two batters allowing three runs on four hits.
The Pit Spitters finally reached the board after loading the bases with three hits in a row of their own. With the bases loaded, Brendan Summerhill added the fourth single in a row to score Glenn Miller. Colin Summerhill was brought in during the next at-bat due to a wild pitch and Evan Orzech scored in the same at-bat after a 6-3 ground out to tie the game at three.
The Rivets answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when Matt Mebane led off the inning with a single to center field. Mebane advanced to second after Tony Lindwedel was walked, then in the next at-bat was brought home on a Harper single to left field to take back the lead, 5-4.
In the fifth inning, Jack Bell came in for the Rivets to retire the side, and in his two innings pitched he struck out one batter and allowed no runs on no hits.
After Bell sat down the side, the Rivets continued the momentum into the bottom half of the fifth inning. For the second inning in a row, the Rivets had three singles in a row to score Nick Demarco after his single to center field. Delaney scored in the next at-bat when Mebane grounded out to shortstop. Walker scored the third and final run of the inning on a throw down to second base.
The Rivets upped the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI walk to put them up 8-3.
The Pit Spitters scored one run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI walk and a run in the top of the ninth on an error by the shortstop.
Northwoods League Stories from July 2, 2023
- Honkers Win 11-7 and Move Toward Playoff Berth - Rochester Honkers
- Spitters Lose Second Straight, Need One to Clinch - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Rockers Defeat Mallards, Move Just a Half-Game Back of First Place - Green Bay Rockers
- Mallards Stifled by Green Bay Pitching in Series Opener - Madison Mallards
- Rivets Dominate Pit Spitters in Race for First Place - Rockford Rivets
- Honkers' Bats Too Much for Express - Eau Claire Express
- Dock Spiders Shut Out By Rafters At Home 2-0 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Lakeshore Plays Spoiler in Game 1 Win - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Wisconsin Rapids Shuts out Dock Spiders, Enters 1st in the Division - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Wausau Falls to Lakeshore, out of Contention for First Half Title - Wausau Woodchucks
- Rockford Drops 5-4 Heartbreaker to Traverse City - Rockford Rivets
- Spitters Magic Number Still at 1, Despite Loss - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Rockers Head to Madison for Final First-Half Series - Green Bay Rockers
- Rochester Pitching Falters in Blowout Loss - Rochester Honkers
- Hill's Performance Propels Dock Spiders Over Woodchucks 10-3 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Growlers Win Back-And-Forth Affair Over Battle Jacks 9-7, Win Both Food Fight Nights - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
- Loggers Split Series with Larks, Lose 12-6 - La Crosse Loggers
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