Beloit Pitching Dominates, Sky Carp Top Kernels for Second Straight Night, 3-1

Beloit, WI - Emmett Olson began the night with six-shutout innings as the Sky Carp held the Kernels to just one run on two hits in a 3-1 win over Cedar Rapids Wednesday night.

For the second straight night, the Sky Carp grabbed an early 3-0 lead. After three scoreless innings from Mike Paredes to begin the game, Beloit got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth. Johnny Olmstead singled to begin the inning, and after another base hit moved him into scoring position, he scored on a Brett Roberts RBI single to put the Sky Carp on top 1-0.

In the fifth, Cameron Barstad crushed the first pitch of the inning out of the park to centerfield to double the Sky Carp lead to 2-0. Later in the frame, a Mark Coley double and a groundout moved a runner to third with one out for Olmstead, who lifted a sacrifice fly to put Beloit on top 3-0.

That was all the run support Beloit starter Emmett Olson needed. In his 11th high-A start, the left-hander began the night throwing six no-hit innings and finished the night going 6.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the season.

Cedar Rapids broke through against Olson in the top of the seventh. With one out in the frame, Kevin Maitan blasted a solo home run to put Cedar Rapids on the board at 3-1. After the next batter, Nate Baez doubled, a Jay Harry walk and a groundout put runners on second and third with two outs. But Kyle Crigger got a flyout to end the inning, ending the Kernels’ rally and keeping the score 3-1, which would be the final.

Kernels’ pitching was also solid in the loss. Mike Paredes allowed just one run across four innings of work, adding three strikeouts, and Gabriel Yanez retired all six batters he faced in relief.

The loss is the Kernels second straight to begin the series in Beloit and it drops Cedar Rapids to 48-33 on the season and 11-6 in the second half. Game three of the six-game series is set for Thursday at 6:35 with Ty Langenberg taking the mound opposite Karson Milbrandt.