Schrier Powers Sky Carp Past Kernels 11-3

BELOIT, Wis - Cody Schrier hit two home runs and an RBI double Saturday night to propel the Sky Carp to a 11-3 victory over Cedar Rapids.

Beloit got its offense going in the bottom of the first inning. A pair of walks to start the frame put two on for Schrier, who opened the scoring with an RBI double. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, two bases-loaded walks plated two more Sky Carp runs to grow the advantage to 3-0.

The Kernels got on the board in the top of the third. On the thirteenth pitch of the at-bat, Eduardo Tait launched a solo home run to right-center to trim the deficit to 3-1.

In the bottom of the inning, the Sky Carp punched back. Max Williams lined a solo home run to start the inning to make it 4-1. Behind him, an error and a single put two on for Esmil Valencia, who scored a run with an RBI double. The next batter, Abraham Ramirez, upped the lead to 6-1 with an RBI single.

Schrier and the Sky Carp added on in the fourth. To lead off the inning, the first baseman powered a home run to left to push the lead to 7-1.

Cedar Rapids chipped away from there. First, in the fifth, walks to Andy Lugo and Tait, with a Yasser Mercedes hit-by-pitch in between, loaded the bases for JP Smith II, who made it 7-2 with a sacrifice fly. Then, in the sixth, Luis Fragoza walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a stolen base and scored on a Byron Chourio RBI groundout to make it 7-3.

But that was the closest the Kernels would get. Schrier homered again to begin the bottom of the sixth, and after him, RBI hits from Williams and Brian Sanchez put Beloit on top 10-3.

In the seventh, Ramirez capped off the big Sky Carp night with a home run to right to make it 11-3, the score that would be the final.

Michael Hilker was a bright spot out of the Cedar Rapids bullpen in the defeat. In his second High-A outing, Hilker posted a strikeout across two scoreless innings.

The loss drops the Kernels to 44-74 on the season and to 13-40 in the second half. The series in Beloit concludes Sunday at 1:05. Cesar Lares gets the start for Cedar Rapids opposite Julio Mendez.