Beloit Sky Carp win two in season-opening homestand

BELOIT—Before rain showers postponed Sunday’s series finale against the Cedar Rapids Kernels to April 27, the Beloit Sky Carp gave the fans at ABC Supply Stadium a treat with back-to-back clutch wins to kick off the season on Friday and Saturday.

The Sky Carp welcomed 1,693 fans through the gates for Friday night’s chilly but sunny season opener. Fans had the opportunity to jump into the icy waters of Rock River prior to the game for Poopsie’s First Annual Arctic Plunge before heading inside to watch Beloit begins its quest to win a Midwest League Championship.

On Saturday, the Sky Carp went into the ninth inning down 1-0 before rallying and moving to 2-0 with a 2-1 victory.

Yiddi Cappe struck out to begin the final frame before Carlos Santiago and Torin Montgomery each drew a walk. A wild pitch by Kyle Bischoff moved the runners to second and third before Cameron Barstad smacked a line-drive into center field for a two run, walk-off double.

Ike Buxton provided Beloit with a gem as he went 5 1-3 innings and allowed just four hits and one unearned run.

He struck out eight and walked two. Anderson Pilar, Kyle Crigger and Dale Stanavich closed out the game and combined for just two walks, four strikeouts (three from Pilar) and no hits.

Barstad paced the Sky Carp’s five-hit attack with two while Santagio provided a double.

John Klein was strong in his start for the Kernels as he allowed three hits in five innings while Miguelangel Bodas and John Stankiewicz threw three scoreless innings.

• FRIDAY’S RECAP: Joe Mack broke a scoreless tie with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, and Montgomery followed that up with a two-run shot with two outs to lift the Sky Carp to a 3-1 win over Cedar Rapids in their season opener.

Edgar Sanchez picked up the win on the mound after pitching the top of the inning. Beloit starter Karson Milbrandt worked five innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out five. Holt Jones also threw two clean innings for the Sky Carp.

Mack also had a double to go with his home run, and Cappe went 2 for 4 and was the Beloit player on base when Montgomery went deep.

Kernels pitchers Andrew Morris, A.J. Labas and Jordan Carr matched their Sky Carp counterparts for much of the night before Mack and Montgomery got to Carr in the eighth.

Beloit will be back in action on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. as it travels to face the Peoria Chiefs for its first six-game series of the season.

The Sky Carp will return to ABC Supply Stadium for its first six-game homestand of the season on Tuesday, April 16, which will begin with a 1:05 matinee game against the South Bend Cubs.

• SATURDAY’S BOXSCORE:

SKY CARP 2, KERNELS 1

Cedar Rapids 010 000 000 — 1 4 0

Beloit 000 000 002 — 2 5 1

CR (ab-r-h-rbi) — Keaschall, dh, 3-0-1-0, Gonzalez, lf, 3-0-1-0, De Andrade, ss, 3-0-0-0, Salas, 2b, 4-0-1-0, Harry, 3b, 4-1-1-0, Urbina, cf, 3-0-0-0, Baez, c, 3-0-0-0, Ruiz, rf, 2-0-0-1, Cavaco, 1b, 3-0-0-0. Totals: 28-1-4-1.

BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi) — Roberts, lf, 4-0-0-0, Mack, dh, 3-0-1-0, Cappe, 3b, 4-0-0-0, Santiago, 2b, 3-1-1-0, Montgomery, 1b, 3-1-1-0, Barstad, c, 4-0-2-2, Johnson, cf, 3-0-0-0, Caballero, rf, 0-0-0-0, Luttrell, rf-cf, 3-0-1-0, Olmstead, ss, 3-0-0-0. Totals: 30-2-5-2.

E: Cappe. SB: Urbina (1), Salas (1), Cappe (1). CS: Keaschall. DP: CR 0, Beloit 2. LOB: CR 5, Beloit 6. 2B: Santiago, Barstad.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): CR, Klein (5.0-3-0-0-1-6), Boadas (1.0-1-0-0-0-1), Stankiewicz (2.0-0-0-0-0-3), Bischoff (0.1-1-2-2-2-1). Beloit, Buxton (5.1-4-1-0-2-8), Pilar (1.2-0-0-0-0-3), Crigger (1.0-0-0-0-2-0), Stanavich (W,1-0,1.0-0-0-0-0-1).

WP: Bischoff. T: 2:19. Att. 565.

• FRIDAY’S BOXSCORE:

SKY CARP 3, KENRELS 1

Cedar Rapids 000 000 001 — 1 5 0

Beloit 000 000 030 — 3 9 1

CR (ab-r-h-rbi) — Keaschall, dh, 4-0-0-0, Gonzalez, rf, 4-1-2-0, De Andrade, ss, 4-0-0-0, Olivar, c, 3-0-0-0, Salas, 3b, 4-0-1-1, Harry, 2b, 4-0-1-0, Cespedes, 1b, 2-0-0-0, Urbina, lf, 3-0-1-0, Garry Jr., cf, 2-0-0-0. Totals: 30-1-5-1.

BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi) — Roberts, lf, 4-0-0-0, Mack, c, 4-1-2-1, Cappe, 3b, 4-1-2-0, Santiago, 2b, 4-0-1-0, Montgomery, 1b, 3-1-1-2, Barstad, dh, 4-0-2-0, Johnson, cf, 4-0-1-0, Luttrell, rf, 3-0-0-0, Olmstead, ss, 3-0-0-0. Totals: 33-3-9-3.

E: Cappe. DP: CR 0, Beloit 2. LOB: CR 5, Beloit 7. 2B: Urbina, Mack, Santiago, Barstad. HR: Mack. SAC: Garry Jr.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): CR, Morris (4.0-3-0-0-1-6), Labas (2.0-1-0-0-0-5), Carr (L,0-1,1.2-5-3-3-0-3), Velez (0.1-0-0-0-0-0). Beloit, Milbrandt (5.0-2-0-0-1-5), Jones (2.0-0-0-0-0-2), Sanchez (W,1-0,1.0-1-0-0-0-1), White (S,1,1.0-2-1-1-1-0).

WP: Morris. T: 2:18. Att:1,693