Franklin Dazzles as Sky Carp Fight Back to Gust Past Cubs 9-4

South Bend, IN – Before April of this year, the last game that South Bend Cubs right-hander Kohl Franklin pitched in was in September of 2019; Just before South Bend went on their Midwest League Championship run. After that point, Franklin did not pitch in 2020 due to COVID-19 and 2021 because of injury. Now, he has made three consecutive starts to begin 2022. Franklin started well for the Cubs on Friday night, but ultimately it was the Beloit Sky Carp topping South Bend 9-4.

Because of pitch count, Franklin was only able to fire off 0.2 innings in his last start at Fort Wayne. Tonight, he got things off on the right track by striking out two batters in the top of the 1st inning. The tall right-hander allowed a single in the 2nd, but that was quickly swept off the board as Franklin laid another zero on the scoreboard.

Franklin departed after the two innings and 34 pitches. The Cubs gave him a lead right after he got back in the dugout too, as South Bend exploded for a three-run bottom of the 2nd. With five hits in his last two games now, Howard’s first knock of the night brought in Alexander Canario and Jordan Nwogu. Later, Jake Washer punched a hit into right-center, scoring Howard.

The South Bend lead would not last though, as the Sky Carp answered with three in the top of the 4th. An inning later, they took the 4-3 lead courtesy of an RBI single from Nasim Nunez.

We went back-and-forth through the middle innings when the Cubs plated another tally to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 6th. Caleb Knight was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and went to second base on a wild pitch. Then in a great battle between Beloit right-hander Tyler Mitzel and Cubs third baseman Luis Verdugo, a long at-bat ensued.

Verdugo just missed a double on a line drive along the chalk on the third base side, but it skipped just foul. On the next pitch, he launched a foul ball deep into the Fun Zone past the left field corner. Down two strikes, Verdugo laced another liner, this time fair, into left to score Knight.

The middle inning rally did not last though. Beloit smashed away five runs in the last three innings to lead 9-4. In the 9th, the Cubs put two men in scoring position, but could not work any magic one final time.

With the loss, the Cubs fall to 5-8 and have split two games apiece in the series so far against the Sky Carp. The two clubs will get together again on Saturday afternoon for a special 4:05 PM match-up. Flame throwing right-hander Daniel Palencia is the expected starter for the Cubs in his Four Winds Field debut.