Baseball Recap: Rockford East Takes a Loss

Rockford East extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 26 on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 0-15 in the process. They came up short against the Jefferson J-Hawks, falling 20-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the E-Rabs of the 12-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.

As for Jefferson, their win ended a 13-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-21. That 19 run margin sets a new team best for them this season.

For Jefferson's part, Grady Schmidt made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Those eight strikeouts gave Schmidt a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.

In other batting news, Ryan Bauer was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Jefferson's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 1-20 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Devin Williamson, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.

The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: Rockford East beat Jefferson by a score of 6-3 on Friday.