CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Beloit erased a 4-3 deficit Wednesday afternoon with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to come from behind and top Cedar Rapids 8-4.
For the second straight game to begin the series, the Sky Carp scored first in the top of the first inning. With one out, Brandon Compton launched a home run to center to leap Beloit in front 1-0.
The Kernels responded in the bottom of the first. Marek Houston doubled to begin the inning, and after he stole third, he scored on a Brandon Winokur RBI single to tie the game 1-1. Winokur stole second before scoring on an error after a Jay Thomason single to put the Kernels in front 2-1.
Cedar Rapids added on in the fourth. With one out, Miguel Briceno crushed a home run to left to grow the Kernels’ lead to 3-1.
But that would be the largest Kernels advantage of the afternoon. In the top of the fifth, a Wilfredo Lara double put a runner on for Compton, who crushed his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to right to tie the game 3-3.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Kernels regained the lead. Two walks and an error loaded the bases for Thomason, who put Cedar Rapids back ahead 4-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Beloit would score the game’s final five runs from there. First, in the top of the seventh, a walk and a catcher’s interference put two on for Emilio Barreras, who jumped the Sky Carp in the lead, 5-4. A batter later, Barreras came in to score on an RBI groundout to double the lead to 6-4.
Then, in the eighth, the Sky Carp added some insurance. Lara worked a walk in front of Dillion Head, who lined a two-run home run to right to balloon the Beloit lead to 8-4, the score that would be the final.
The loss drops the Kernels to 30-33 on the season and to 1-1 in the series with Beloit. The set with the Sky Carp continues on Thursday at 6:35 with Cesar Lares on the mound opposite Luke Lashutka.