Beloit Sky Carp's five-game winning streak snapped in loss to Timber Rattlers

BELOIT — Ten was the magic number for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Wednesday night.

Not only was it the amount of walks the Timber Rattlers drew of the Beloit Sky Carp pitching staff, but it was the absurd amount of bases it stole in the nine-inning contest.

It all accumulated in Wisconsin snapping the Sky Carp’s five-game winning streak in a 7-3 victory on in front of 1,146 at ABC Supply Stadium.

Beloit had beaten the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the last game before the all-star break before sweeping a three-game series with the Peoria Chiefs and taking the first game against Wisconsin in the six-game homestand.

Eduarqui Fernandez swiped a game-high five bases while Jheremy Varags stole three and Luke Adams’ added two.

The Sky Carp had gotten the scoring started in the first as Mark Coley singled to begin the bottom half of the frame, stole second and moved to third on Johnny Olmstead’s groundout. Josh Zamora was hit by a pitch before Brock Vradenburg sent a one-run single into right field. Sam Praytor then hit into a double play to allow Wisconsin starter Yujanyer Herrera to limit the damage.

Herrera settled in as he allowed just an Olmstead walk in the third and another single to Vradenbrug in the fifth, which was once again undone by a Praytor double play. He allowed three total hits with three strikeouts.

Beloit starter Noble Meyer, meanwhile, was doing some strong work of his own from the mound. The 2023 first-round pick worked around a single in the first and threw a 1-2-3 in the second before Wisconsin jumped on him for a lone run in the third.

Fernandez and Vargas both walked to begin the inning. Fernandez stole second and swiped third after Luis Lara struck out before Varagas stole second. Jadher Areinamo grounded out but two-straight walks brought Fernandez home. Meyer struck out Eduardo Garcia to keep it tied at one.

Meyer finished with four innings complete and allowed five walks and a hit with three strikeouts.

Reliever Caleb Wurster gave up the go-ahead run in the fifth after the Timber Rattlers’ Adams was hit by a pitch, went to second on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Garcia’s single into left.

Tayden Hall tripled off Wurster to start the sixth, Fernandez drew a walk and Hall then scored on Vargas’ groundout. Wisconsin upped it to 4-1 when Lara reached on a fielder’s choice and then went to second on an error.

Beloit’s Alex Williams entered and got a groundout but he hit Adams, who stole second, and Wood launched a two-run single into right to make it 6-1.

The Sky Carp cut the deficit in half in the seventh as Torin Montgomery launched a solo homer to left-center off Mark Manfredi with two outs. Brett Roberts kept the rally going as he singled to left and moved to second on a fielding error before Carlos Santiago hit him in with a double.

But Josh Ekness walked a pair and allowed an Areinamo sacrifice fly as Wisconsin upped the lead back to four runs.

Olmstead reached off an error in the eight but reliever Aaron Rund got Zamora to bounce into a double play and Yerlin Rodriguez threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

The Sky Carp, who outhit the Timber Rattlers 6-4, were paced by Vrandeburg’s two hits.

Beloit will continue the series against Wisconsin at 6:35 p.m. Thursday.

WISCONSIN 7, BELOIT 3

Wisconsin 001 014 010 — 7 4 2

Beloit 100 000 200 — 3 6 2

WISCONSIN (ab-r-h-rbi) — Lara, cf, 5-1-0-0, Areinamo, ss, 4-0-0-1, Adams, 3b, 2-2-1-0, Wood, dh, 2-0-1-3, Garcia, 2b, 5-0-1-1, Rodriguez, c, 5-0-0-0, Hall, 1b, 5-1-1-0, Fernadnez, rf, 0-3-0-0, Vargas, lf, 2-0-0-1. Totals: 30-7-4-6.

BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi) — Coley, rf, 4-1-1-0, Olmstead, ss, 3-0-0-0, Zamora, 3b, 3-0-0-0, Vradneburg, 1b, 4-0-2-1, Praytor, c, 4-0-0-0, Montgomery, dh, 4-1-1-1, Roberts, lf, 4-1-1-0, Santiago, 2b, 3-0-1-1, Johnson, cf, 2-0-0-0. Totals: 31-3-6-3.

E: Vargas, Areinamo, Wurster, Santiago. DP: Wisconsin 3, Beloit 0. SB: Adams 2 (24) Fernandez 5 (15) Vargas 3 (17), Coley (18). CS: Wood. 2B: Santiago. 3B: Hall. HR: Montgomery (5). SF: Areinamo.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Wisconsin, Herrera (W,6-1,5.0-3-1-1-1-3), Manfredi (1.2-3-2-2-0-3), Rund (1.1-0-0-0-1-0), Rodriguez (1.0-0-0-0-0-3). Beloit, Meyer (4.0-1-1-1-5-3), Wurster (L,0-1,1.1-2-4-3-2-0), Williams (1.2-1-1-0-0-1), Ekness (1.0-0-1-1-2-1), Crigger (1.0-0-0-0-1-0).

HBP: Adams 2 (by Wurster, Williams), Zamora (by Herrera). T: 2:37. Att: 1,146.