Beloit Junior Legion Bandits sweep Whitewater in doubleheader

BELOIT — The Beloit Junior Legion Bandits were in quite the rallying mood on Thursday night.

Beloit overcame a four-run deficit to beat Whitewater 7-6 and then came back from being down 11-10 to win the nightcap 12-11 in an intense doubleheader at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex.

In the first game, Whitewater built up a 6-2 lead through four innings, but Beloit started to rally in the fourth as Will Erickson’s sacrifice fly cut the lead in half and Diego Batista later whacked a two-run single into left field to make it 6-5.

Erickson smacked a one-run single to left in the bottom of the fifth to tie it up, and Jaxson Walenga, who finished with two hits, gave Beloit the walk-off win with his RBI single to center.

In the nightcap, Cates had an RBI single and later scored on a double play to tie it at two in the first. Whitewater scored two runs in the second but Beloit answered in the bottom half when Hayden Wells stole home to cut the lead to 4-3.

A two-run single by Erickson and RBI groundout by Middleton put the Bandits ahead 6-4 in the third and, after Whitewater scored four runs in the top of the fourth, a two-run double by Henriquez helped Beloit jump ahead 10-8.

Whitewater rallied to take an 11-10 lead in the fifth, but an RBI single by Cates tied it back up. Henriquez then sent a line-drive single into center to help Beloit win via walk off for the second-straight game.

Austin Driver and Cates had three hits apiece.

The Bandits are back in action on Friday, when they will take on the Racine Steelheads at 6:30 p.m. at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex.