Grizzlies get swept in Rockford

For the third time this season, a series between the Rockford RiverHawks and the Gateway Grizzlies ended in a sweep by the home team.

The RiverHawks defeated the Grizzlies 6-2 Thursday night to complete the three-game sweep at Road Ranger Stadium in Loves Park.

Rockford (18-21) scored four times in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie. The RiverHawks went up 2-0 with a pair of unearned runs in the second inning off Grizzlies starter Nate Melek.

Melek suffered the loss, allowing all six runs, four earned, on nine hits. He struck out four and walked three. He falls to 3-3 with the loss.

Chad Rothford got the Grizzlies on the board in the fifth inning when he led off with his eighth home run of the year.

Rothford finished 3-for-4 with the homer.

The Grizzlies (13-25) evened the score in the sixth inning. Stephen Holdren led off by reaching on an error.He later scored when Rothford also reached on an error.

Joseph Scaperotta finished 1-for-4 to extend his team-record hit streak to 21 games.Rockford's Jason James was 2-for-4 to extend his league-leading hit streak to 29 games.

The Grizzlies return home to begin a three-game series with the Windy City ThunderBolts at 7:05 p.m. today