SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Beloit Sky Carp manager Billy Gardner Jr. has said that outfielder Colby Shade is a player that can really set the tone in his spot at the top of the batting order.
Shade did exactly that on Wednesday night as his go-ahead single in the seventh prompted a late surge by the Sky Carp offense and helped secure a 6-2 victory over the South Bend Cubs.
Beloit ties the series up at one game apiece in the six-game road trip.
With the game knotted up at two, Tony Bullard drew a walk off of Cubs’ reliever Luis Devers. Jay Beshears replaced him at first after a force out at second before Mark Coley struck out.
But Shade put Beloit ahead for good in the next at-bat as he sent a single into center field. The Sky Carp moved to third on a fielding error on the play but was stranded when Gage Miller grounded out.
Beloit, however, got plenty of insurance as Ryan Ignoffo welcomed Chase Watkins to the game with a sharply hit single to centerin the eighth. Alderman replaced him on a force out and Lara flew out, but Brock Vradneburg singled and Bullard doubled both in with his shot to left.
Coley started the ninth with a solo blast to center field off Angel Gonzalez to up Beloit’s lead to the final margin of 6-2.
The Sky Carp had gotten the scoring started in the second with Bullard’s one-run single off of South Bend starter Drew Gray. Lara’s RBI single in the sixth was charged to Gray and made it 2-0 in favor of Beloit.
Noble Meyer had delivered a stellar outing for Beloit.
He allowed just a single hit and two walks while striking out seven. It was a much-needed start for the top-ranked prospect whose ERA had ballooned up to 6.75 entering Wednesday after allowing 11 earned runs in his previous three starts.
Beloit reliever Jack Sellinger walked back-to-back batters to start the sixth, and Andy Garriola’s double into left tied it at two.
Sellinger bounced back for a hitless seventh, earning him the win, while Josh White delievered a perfect eighth and ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Beloit, who outhit the Cubs 13-2, were led by Shade and Bullard, who each had three hits. Alderman and Coley both added two.
The Sky Carp and South Bend continue the six-game set on Thursday at 6:05 p.m.
• BOXSCORE:
SKY CARP 6, CUBS 2
Beloit 010 001 121 — 6 13 0
S. Bend 000 002 000 — 2 2 1
BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi) — Shade, cf, 5-1-3-1, Miller, 3b, 5-0-0-0, Ignoffo, c, 4-0-1-0, Alderman, rf, 4-2-2-0, Lara, 2b, 4-0-1-1, Vradenburg, 1b, 4-1-1-0, Bullard, dh, 3-0-3-3, Beshears, ss, 4-1–0-0, Coley, lf, 3-1-2-1. Totals: 36-6-13-6.
S. BEND (ab-r-h-rbi) — Ramirez, 3b, 3-1-0-0, Garriola, rf, 4-0-1-2, Hearn, dh, 4-0-0-0, Hernandez, ss, 4-0-0-0, Wetzel, cf, 3-0-0-0, Nwogu, lf, 4-0-0-0, Alvarez, 1b, 2-0-0-0, Howard, 2b, 2-0-1-0, Avitia, c, 2-1-0-0. Totals: 28-2-2-2.
E: Wetzel. DP: Beloit 1, SB 1. PO: Coley (1st base by Gary). SB: Coley (25), Beshears (5), Shade (3). CS: Bullard, Ignoffo, Coley. 2B: Alderman, Bullard, Garriola. HR: Coley (10).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Beloit, Meyer (5.0-1-0-0-2-7), Sellinger (W,1-0,2.0-1-2-2-3-4), White (S,4,2.0-0-0-0-0-2). SB, Gray (5.0-6-2-2-2-3), Devers (L,4-3,2.0-2-1-1-2-1). Watkins (1.0-3-2-2-0-1), Gonzalez (1.0-2-1-1-0-2).
T: 2:28. Att: 2,986.
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