GREENVILLE, Mich — Northview led for most of the day, but Rockford scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to beat the Wildcats 4-3 and advance in the division 1 district tournament at Greenville High School’s Stankey Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The Wildcats struck first, after a walk and bloop single, Brendan Johnson blasted a 3-run home run to rightfield giving Northview a 3-0 lead. The Rams would get one back in the bottom of the 1st when sophomore Tyler Pellerito delivered an RBI single to left to make it a 3-1 game.
Northview starting pitcher Chad Walton worked in and out of trouble all day and held Rockford at bay until the 6th. After a hit batter, a walk and bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out, leadoff hitter Kory Young blooped a single into shallow rightfield to cut the lead to 3-2. Pellerito followed with his 2nd RBI of the day on a line single to center making it 3-2. The Wildcats went to Max Helsel on the mound to face Brent Showers, who, on the 1st pitch he saw, hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield giving the Rams a 4-3 lead.
Showers, Rockford’s starting pitcher, made that lead stand up by retiring the Wildcats in order in the top of the 7th inning including 2 strikeouts. Other than the Johnson home run in the 1st, Showers was dominant on the mound pitching a complete game to get the win.
Rockford advances to play host Greenville Saturday in the district semifinal, Lowell plays Forest Hills Northern in the other semifinal, the championship will also be Saturday at Greenville.
