Beloit Junior Bandits rally falls short in 8-6 loss to Fort Atkinson

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. — A late rally by the Beloit Junior Legion team was snuffed out by Fort Atkinson as the Bandits fell 8-6 at Jones Park on Tuesday night.

Down 8-4, Austin Driver drew a walk to start off the sixth before Fort Atkinson got a strikeout and a pop out to close within an out of a victory. But Carter Middleton drew a walk and Tayvon Cates lined a double into left field to score two.

Peyton Tucker’s single put runners on the corner, but a caught stealing by Fort Atkinson stopped Beloit’s comeback try in a game shortened to six innings.

Fort Atkinson went up 2-0 in the first inning but the Bandits leapfrogged ahead in the second after Austyn Kjendlie smacked a one-run single and later scored on a passed ball. In between Jaxon Walenga, who had been hit by a pitch, scored on a wild pitch.

But Fort Atkinson responded with a five-run bottom of the second and added another run in the third.

In the fourth, Walenga walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a suicide squeeze by Driver to cut Fort Atkinson’s lead in half.

Cates went 2-for-4 as the Bandits were outhit 8-4 but drew seven walks.

Cates started and went 2 2-3 innings while allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and five walks with two strikeouts. Walenga tossed the final 2 1-3 frames and didn’t allow a run on a hit while striking out a batter.

The Bandits are back in action for a doubleheader in Middleton on Sunday.