Rivets Sweep Battle Jacks in 29-Run, Four-Hour Thriller
Northwoods Rockford Rivets

Rivets Sweep Battle Jacks in 29-Run, Four-Hour Thriller

July 5, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rockford Rivets News Release


ROCKFORD, Ill. - The 4th of July at Rivets Stadium wasn't without its fireworks.

In a game where both sides had huge days at the plate, it was the Rivets to once again had a huge eighth inning to win it. For what felt like a marathon, 29 total runs were scored over a four-hour affair. Fireworks were launched on both sides, and America's pastime gave the thousands of fans at Rivets Stadium a memory that they won't forget.

"Tonight was a boxing match," Head Coach Chase Brewster said. "It was a situation where each guy went back and forth, and they tried to throw the knockout. Then we completely KO'd them in the end."

Many families spend the 4th of July together. For the Rivets, it was some brothers who got the party started in the second inning.

The Rivets loaded the bases with no outs for Joe Forbes (Arizona). He came up to the plate for his second at-bat of the season. The University of Arizona commit continued his hot start with a screamer down the left field line for a bases-clearing double.

After not playing this past season due to an injury, Forbes has become one of the best bats in the lineup this season.

"I think it might just be the fact that I haven't played in a while," Forbes said. "Kind of a fresh start, just giving me some time to be myself and step away from the game and focus on my craft, and it's definitely translated."

Jackson Forbes (Arizona) replaced his little brother on second, with an RBI double himself. The Rivets went up four to start the 4th of July.

The Battle Jacks battled right back to start the third inning. As the Rivets scored with extra base hits, Battle Creek scored with small ball. Their first run came from an error, the second run from a sacrifice groundout and the third from a single.

The first firework of the game came off the bat of Jayce Blalock (Arkansas-Little Rock). The solo shot looked like a mortar off his bat, as it was launched over the left field wall for his team-leading fifth home run of the season.

"It was kind of inside," Blalock said. "I got the pitch I wanted, and it was the first pitch of the at bat, and I got the pitch I wanted, and I got a good swing on it, and I hit it out."

Back-to-back pitches brought back-to-back singles and a run to start the top of the fourth for the Battle Jacks. A single to right with an error put the leadoff guy on third. A follow-up single scored him, and the Rivets' lead was now one run.

The Rivets exploded for four more runs in the fourth. Three walks in four batters brought Blalock up again. He walked, scoring the first run of the inning. Harrison Bowman (Troy) scored off a wild pitch and finally the last two came off an RBI single from Tommy Townsend (Xavier).

After Townsend's heroics last night, he grew the Rivets' lead to five runs.

"We scored a bunch early, which I think helped us late," Brewster said. "We gave ourselves a cushion; we never really panicked."

The guy the Rivets want on the mound for a packed Independence Day crowd is ace Kaysen Raineri (Hawaii). The right-hander has been the best starter on the Rivets' staff this season, sporting a 1.66 ERA over 21 innings pitched.

America's 249th birthday is one Raineri would want to have back. After being pulled in the fifth after loading the bases, his night was done. In his four innings of work, he gave up seven runs, with five of them being earned. The Freshman gave up seven hits, three walks and finished with five strikeouts.

After a high-scoring 17-run game last night, that number was topped in the fifth. The Battle Jacks batted all around their lineup with no outs. Their patience at the plate led to a six-run eruption, taking the 10-9 lead.

The Rivets struggled defensively tonight, giving up four errors, leading to two runs on the day. Defense is something that could look to be improved following today's matchup.

The Rivets continued their extra-base fireworks with a Jack Scheri (Wabash Valley) RBI-double to tie the game at 10. The Rivets loaded up the bases following, but nothing came of it. The game remained tied at 10 to end the fifth.

The bottom of the sixth brought some heat coming from both ways. Both head coaches argued a potential balk call leading to a long delay. A double play ended an over 30-minute inning. The Battle Jacks were fired up after getting out of the jam with no runs given up.

After Connor Clark (Butler CC) struggled, on came Charlie Kincaid (McLennan). He went three innings of scoreless baseball. Giving up four walks to four strikeouts and three hits. Kincaid locked it down to ensure the Rivets' win.

Battle Creek broke the tie after a scoreless sixth and seventh innings. A leadoff single ended up on third with two outs. An infield single scored the lead-taking run.

After an animated finish to the seventh inning from Battle Jacks' pitcher Lucas Stone, the Rivets gave him the biggest, game-ending fireworks.

"This game's competitive, I don't blame him," Blalock said. "I mean, we all do it, but I mean when you see stuff like that, it just gives you an extra edge, extra fire."

The Rivets once again come in clutch with another seven-run inning. Joe Forbes started it off with the game-tying double, scoring Townsend.

Collin Mowry (Louisville) scored off a wild pitch, and the Rivets had the lead. With two outs and two on came Bowman. He lined a single up the middle and gave the Rivets a three-run lead.

Tate Shimao (Hawaii) came up with Gavin Taylor (Nevada, Las Vegas) and Bowman. Shimao hit an RBI single to right, scoring Bowman and Taylor scored off an error by the right fielder. Blalock came back up and hit his third extra-base hit of the game, scoring Shimao. The Rivets ended the eighth up 17-11.

"We don't give up," Forbes said. "I think that's what I love most about this team. We don't give up. We've been punched in the face and we come back every time."

Lance Mittelman (St. Peter's) was the man to finish out the game for Brewster. He came on in the top of the eighth and gave up the lead-taking run. In the ninth with two runners on, Battle Creek hit an RBI double to score their 12th run of the game.

Mittelman fans the last two runners of the game. The Rivets won an over four-hour, 29-run game where it came to the final innings. The Rivets advance to 4-1 on the season, and the only thing left tonight was to let the postgame fireworks begin.

"How could you not love where we're at?" Brewster said. "We're in first place and you just got to get there, and then when you get there, you got to stay there."

The Rivets will go on a six-game road trip before returning to Rivets Stadium on July 11 to take on the Traverse City Pit Spitters. Fans can purchase tickets for Friday's special Fourth of July game and for Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.

By: Niall Rosenberg



Northwoods League Stories from July 5, 2025


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