Beloit Sky Carp edged by Cedar Rapids Kernels 3-1

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Torin Montgomery singled with one out in the ninth and gave the Beloit Sky Carp a chance to rally for the second-straight night against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

But for the second consecutive evening, it fell short after Brett Roberts grounded into a force out at second and Josh Zamora grounded out to short as the Sky Carp fell 3-1.

The Kernels lead 2-0 in the seven-game series.

A solo blast off Beloit starter Jacob Miller by Agustin Ruiz kicked off the third inning and, two outs and a Luke Keaschall single later, Gabriel Gonzalez smacked a one-run double.

It was the 2022 2nd-round pick’s only blemish of the night as he allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six in four innings.

Brett Roberts, who had two hits, made it 2-1 with a solo homer, his fourth bomb of the season, in the fourth.

Keaschall singled with two outs in the fifth and Gonzalez doubled him home once again to make it 3-1.

The Sky Carp (9-7), who racked up five hits, had a chance in the fifth to strike as Jorge Caballero singled off Kernels’ starter John Klein and Johnny Olmstead reached on a throwing error before Chase Luttrell grounded into a double play.

Jake Thompson singled in the sixth but Juan Mercedes and Jacob Wosinski combined for four two-hit innings with six strikeouts for Cedar Rapids (8-8).

Tyler Eckberg allowed an earned run off three hits while striking out five in two innings of relief for Beloit while Ignacio Feliz threw two one-hit innings with three punchouts.

The series continues tomorrow with a pair of seven-inning games as part of a doubleheader. The first game will be makeup of a rainout from the season-opening series at ABC Supply Stadium.

• BOXSCORE:

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, BELOIT 1

Beloit 000 100 000 — 1 5 0

Cedar Rapids 002 010 00x —3 9 1

BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi) — Coley, cf, 0-0-0-0; Luttrell, ph-cf, 3-0-0-0; Cappe, 3b, 4-0-0-0; Thompson, dh, 4-0-1-0; Montgomery, 1b, 4-0-1-0; Roberts, rf, 4-1-2-1; Zamora, 2b, 3-0-0-0; Caballero, lf, 3-0-1-0; Lane, c, 3-0-0-0; Olmstead, ss, 3-0-0-0. Totals: 31-1-5-1.

CEDAR RAPIDS (ab-r-h-rbi) — Keaschall, cf, 4-2-2-0; Gonzalez, rf, 4-0-3-2; Cespedes, 3b, 3-0-0-0; De Andrade, 2b, 3-0-0-0; Harry, ss, 4-0-2-0; Salas, dh, 3-0-1-0; Ruiz, lf, 4-1-1-1; Baez, 3-0-0-0; Cavaco, 1b, 3-0-0-0. Totals: 31-3-9-3.

E: Cespedes. DP: Beloit 1, CR 2. LOB: Beloit 4, CR 7. 2B: Gonzalez 2, Harry. HR: Roberts (4), Ruiz (1). SB: Roberts (2), Caballero (1), Keaschall 2 (8). CS: Salas.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Beloit, Miller (L,1-1) 4.0-5-2-2-1-6; Eckberg 2.0-3-1-1-1-5; Feliz 2.0-1-0-0-1-3. CR, Klein (W,1-0) 5.0-3-1-1-1-6; Mercedes 2.0-1-0-0-0-3; Wosinski (S,1) 2.0-1-0-0-0-3.

WP: Feliz. HBP: Coley by Klein. T: 2:23. Att. 588.