Sky Carp Score Five Late Runs, Top Kernels 5-1

BELOIT, Wis - In a game that was scoreless through five, the Sky Carp scored in each of their final three offensive innings to knock off the Kernels 5-1 Wednesday night.

After Beloit starter Liomar Martinez went six scoreless one-hit innings Tuesday night, Brayan Mendoza followed suit on Wednesday. The Sky Carp starter did not allow a run in six innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six.

But the Cedar Rapids pitching was up to the task. Starter Reed Moring worked around ten baserunners to toss 3.1 scoreless innings. Behind him, Michael Hilker did not allow a run in 1.2 innings in his high-A debut to keep the game scoreless until the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Sky Carp opened the scoring. With one out, Max Williams singled, and a batter later, scored all the way from first on a Cody Schrier RBI double to put Beloit in front 1-0.

In the top of the seventh, the Kernels answered back. With one away in the inning, Irvin Nunez smashed his first high-A home run, a solo shot to left to tie the game, 1-1.

Beloit came back in the bottom of the inning. Three walks loaded the bases with two outs for Williams, who put the Sky Carp back in front, 3-1, with a two-run single.

The Sky Carp added on in the bottom of the eighth. Starlyn Caba singled to start the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and on an error on the play, scored to push the advantage to 4-1. Later in the inning, Carter Johnson worked a walk, went to second on a groundout and scored on a Victor Ortega RBI single to make it 5-1, the score that would be the final.

The loss drops the Kernels to 44-70 on the season and to 0-2 to start the series in Beloit. The set with the Sky Carp continues Thursday at 6:05. Adrian Bohorquez takes the mound for Cedar Rapids, opposite Nate Payne.