For the City Times

In offensive battle, Rivets win game one of series

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – In the first game of a two game set between Rockford and Wisconsin Rapids, the Rivets came out victorious, 9-6 at Witter Field on Saturday evening.

In a game that saw 32 total hits, Rockford led the way with 17. Bren Spillane led the way for Rockford, finishing 4-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Jacson McGowan had a big day for Wisconsin Rapids, with a home run and three RBIs. With the win, Rockford sits atop the second half standings in the South, tied with Lakeshore at 7-4. The Rafters fall to 6-4, a half game back from first.

Charlie McConnell and Nick Anderson opened the game for Wisconsin Rapids with back-to-back singles and both would come around to score during Jacson McGowan’s at-bat with one out. McConnell scored the first run of the game on a passed ball and Anderson came across when McGowan blasted a line drive off the wall in left.

Brian Klein led off the second for Rockford with a no-doubt home run that bounced off of the video board in right-center field. In the next frame, the Rivets loaded the bases with nobody out and pushed one run across on a bases-loaded walk of JC DeMuri, but Josh Aguilar (1-1) was able to work out of the jam with one run allowed.

Wisconsin Rapids flexed some muscle in the third, scoring three runs to regain the lead, 5-2. All-Star Dustin Woodcock hit a rope to the gap in right-center field, doubling to plate Nick Anderson. After McGowan pelted one off the wall in his first at-bat, the third-baseman squared up another fastball and took this one over the fence in left, good for a two-run home run.

Rockford answered with a home run in the next inning, a Spillane two-run shot. Spillane hit a high fly ball to straight away center field and edged over the fence to pull the Rivets within a run of the Rafters, 5-4.

The visitors from Rockford took their first lead of the night in the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 7-5 lead. Kian O’Brien singled and scored on a Jeremy Houston double to score the first run. Houston scored on a Spillane sacrifice fly and Trevor Paradoski scored the final run of the inning on a Hunter Feduccia bloop single.

The Rafters answered with a run on a Jake Guenther RBI single to right, but stranded the bases loaded in the fifth. Wisconsin Rapids left eight runners on base in the game, unable to convert with runners in scoring position and squandered 15 hits.

Rockford extended its lead and added two insurance runs before closing the game out in the ninth. Zach Watson took the first pitch he saw from Aaron Herr over the wall in left for a two-run homer.

The teams will meet again tomorrow at Witter Field, with first pitch at 4:05 p.m. Coverage of Sunday’s contest starts at 3:50 p.m. on AM 1320 WFHR and WFHR.com, the Rafters Radio Network.