Rivets Win Big on Peaches Night with 15 Strikeouts
Published on July 18, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rockford Rivets News Release
Although there's no crying in baseball, on Rockford Peaches night at Rivets Stadium, the Rivets may have forced the Royal Oak Leprechauns to near tears as they ended the Leps' seven-game win streak, which was the longest in the Northwoods League. The Rivets capitalized on errors and gained 15 strikeouts in a 13-5 win.
The Rivets honored the Rockford Peaches-a girls' professional baseball league in the 1940s, whose legacy was solidified in the film A League of Their Own.
In the present day, the game was scoreless through three, with southpaw Brady Louck (Xavier University) throwing heat on the mound. He struck out his first six batters faced and put up zeros through three and left the game after 69 pitches. Louck did not give up one walk and allowed two runs, one of them earned, in the fourth.
The defensive struggles reared their ugly head tonight, totaling four errors, with three of them belonging to shortstop Jackson Forbes (University of San Diego). Forbes has struggled this season with errors, racking up 21, which is second in the Northwoods League.
Despite the struggles, the Rivets' offense came to play, and they took advantage of whatever the Leprechauns dealt.
In the bottom of the fourth, that looked like wild pitches and walks. Forbes led off with a walk, then Tommy Townsend (Xavier University) also got the free pass. Zan Von Schlegell (University of St. Thomas) used his speed to advance off a bunt single, and an error by the Leps pitcher brought Forbes and Townsend across home plate.
The game was tied. Zero outs.
Von Schlegell then came home on a wild pitch, with all three of the Rivs runs off one hit, and the ball never leaving the infield.
That tide turned, though, with Joey Appino's (Carroll University) RBI single, a Connor Kave (Harper CC) single to load the bases, and a Bryce Nevils' (McNeese State University) 2 RBI single to left field. The bats were hot, as 12 Rivets came to the dish in the inning.
In the fourth, Nevils also stole second base before being stranded, tying the Rivets single season record with 28 stolen bases. Then, in the eighth, Nevils advanced to first on a fielder's choice, and second stood empty in front of him.
In irony, Nevils stole second with just a jog, and the catcher didn't even attempt to throw him out. Just like that, he broke the Rivets' record with 29 stolen bases. He will only look to continue to add to this total in the remaining season.
The pitching staff was absolutely electric tonight, totaling 15 strikeouts with four arms. They only walked six batters, with four of those walks being charged to Carter Lund (Madison CC) and two to Jimmy Amptmann (Davenport University).
The game was by no means perfect as an error in the fifth allowed two Leprechaun runners to score, and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh added another.
But the Rivets showed out for their home crowd, adding on six more in the eighth. The Rivs have been the victim of the big inning in recent games, but turned that theme around for the better tonight, scoring six in two separate innings.
Appino contributed the entire night, but his off-the-wall double in the eighth got the momentum going again. He sprinted home on Nevils' hit, evading the tag at home with a shifty move before tagging the plate.
Appino ran with that same force back to the Rivets dugout, fired up as if he was racing toward home again.
Amptmann finished off the night for the Peaches, allowing two walks, yet still finishing out the inning for a Rivets win.
The Rivets will face off against the Leprechauns tomorrow for a matinee special at 3:35 pm.
By: Emily Tuttle
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