Beloit Junior Legion Bandits split doubleheader with Steelheads

BELOIT — The Beloit Junior Legion Bandits split two close games in a twinbill with the Racine Steelheads to up its record to 2-1 on the young summer season.

The Bandits won the first game at Horlick Field 4-2 before Racine took the nightcap 4-3.

In game one, Carter Middleton was stout from the mound for Beloit as he allowed just two earned runs, both in the bottom of the seventh, on four hits and three walks while striking out 10.

The game was scoreless for four innings until Kayden Tyler doubled to start off the fifth and Hayden Wells followed with a walk. Both advanced on a passed ball and Tyler scored on Austin Driver’s groundout to first. A wild pitch in the next at-bat scored Driver.

The Bandits upped its lead to 4-0 in the sixth as Tayvon Cates had an RBI single and Diego Batista, who had walked, scored on an error by the catcher.

After the Steelheads scored two in the seventh, Jaxon Walenga came in and got the final two outs to secure the win.

Tyler had two hits to lead Beloit.

Racine won on a walk-off wild pitch in the seventh inning of the nightcap after the Bandits had opened with a three-run first inning but went quiet the rest of the way.

Tyler had a two-run single and later scored on a wild pitch in the opening frame, but the Steelheads scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth to tie it up.

Middleton and Wells each had singles as the Bandits were outhit 4-3. Cates started and went four innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

• THURSDAY’S GAME: Walenga helped the Bandits open up the summer with a walk-off 10-9 victory over Fort Atkinson as his fielder choice tied it up and forced an error that brought home the winning run in a game shortened to six innings.

Down 9-8, Evin Splan blasted a double to center field before Cates drew a walk and Middleton singled to load the bases. A strikeout later, Walenga hit it back to the pitcher to score Splan before he then made an error which allowed Splan to score.

The Bandits build up a 7-1 lead through two innings. Walenga had a two-run single in the first and Cates and Middleton each had RBI singles while Peyton Tucker had a one-run triple in a five-run second.

Fort Atkinson scored five runs in the third and two in the fifth to build a 8-7 lead but Willmy Henriquez’s single to left tied it up at eight.

Fort Atkinson responded with a run in the top of the sixth before the Bandits walked it off.

Middleton, Tucker and Henriquez all had two hits for Beloit, which outhit Fort Atkinson 11-4 and drew seven walks but issued nine walks themselves. The two squads combined for 13 total errors.

Middleton started and threw two innings while allowing a hit and one unearned run with a strikeout. Will Erickson finished the last 1 1-3 innings and allowed one unearned run but no hits with a strikeout.

The Bandits are back in action on June 18 for a rematch against Fort Atkinson at Jones Park.