Beloit Tops Cedar Rapids 5-3, Ends Kernels’ Four-Game Winning Streak

Beloit, WI - Johnny Olmstead broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run, the score which would be the difference in a 5-3 Beloit win over Cedar Rapids Tuesday night.

Entering having lost nine of their last 11, the Sky Carp got on the board right away on Tuesday. Back-to-back two-out hits followed by an error in the Beloit half of the first inning loaded the bases for Brock Vradenburg, who put the Sky Carp up 2-0 with a two-run single.

In the second, Mark Coley upped the Sky Carp edge to 3-0 by crushing a solo home run out to left field.

Down by three, the Kernels got on the board in the fourth inning. Gabriel Gonzalez doubled to begin the frame, and after a groundout moved him to third, he scored on a Jay Harry groundout to cut the deficit to 3-1.

In the fifth, Cedar Rapids rallied to tie it. Back-to-back doubles by Tyler Dearden and Agustin Ruiz produced a run to make it 3-2. After a bunt moved Ruiz to third, he scored on a Gonzalez RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

It didn’t take long for Beloit to regain the lead. To lead off the bottom of the fifth, Johnny Olmstead belted a solo home run to left to give the Sky Carp the lead back at 4-3.

After a 52-minute rain delay in the sixth inning, a Sam Praytor RBI double gave Beloit an insurance run, making it a 5-3 game, the score that would be the final.

Jarret Whorff was a highlight for the Kernels out of the bullpen. Coming on after the rain delay, Whorff posted three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four.

The loss snaps the Cedar Rapids four-game winning streak and drops the Kernels to 48-32 on the season and 11-5 in the second half. Game two of the series in Beloit is set for Wednesday at 6:35, with Mike Paredes on the mound opposite Emmett Olsen.