Beloit, WI - With a 7-1 lead heading to the bottom of the 6th inning, the South Bend Cubs held all the momentum against the Beloit Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium. A late rally eventually led the Sky Carp to evening up the game, forcing extras. In the bottom of the 10th, Carter Johnson won the game for Beloit on a walk-off double, completing the comeback and earning the 9-8 victory for the Sky Carp.
Beloit has now won both games this series, and South Bend drops to a game under .500 in Midwest League second-half play at 5-6. Overall, the Cubs are 44-29.
The night started strong for the Cubs, and was highlighted by the Chicago Cubs organization debut for infielder Michael Hallquist. Signed out of Independent Baseball by the Cubs earlier this week, Hallquist spent one year in college playing at Ball State. After a scoreless 1st inning, the Cubs picked up the game’s first run when Miguel Useche reached on a fielding error, with Logan Poteet scoring on the same play. With Useche on, Hallquist stepped up for his first Cubs organization plate appearance. He crushed a deep drive to left field, launching a two-run homer, making it a 3-0 Cubs lead. Hallquist hit 11 home runs this season in American Association play before being signed by Chicago.
Beloit answered with a single tally in the bottom of the 2nd, but South Bend continued to add onto its early lead. The Cubs plated two runs in the top of the 3rd, which included an RBI single by Logan Poteet.
Up 5-1 heading to the middle innings, right-handed reliever Luis Rujano tossed a scoreless 4th inning. Rujano was preceded by righty Mason McGwire, who earlier on Wednesday was named to the National League Futures Game roster. South Bend infielder/outfielder Josiah Hartshorn was named to the same roster. McGwire pitched three innings of one-run baseball to start the game for South Bend.
With two more runs in the top of the 6th, one from a Poteet solo home run, and one from a Kane Kepley RBI single, South Bend was in front 7-1.
That’s when Beloit started their rally back. The Sky Carp plated two in the 6th, three in the 7th, and then two in the 8th to tie the game. Carter Johnson had the game-tying hit to even things at 8-8.
In the 9th, Beloit had the winning run at third base with only one out, but righty Adam Stone got the Cubs out of that jam to force extras.
South Bend is now 1-2 in extra innings games this season, as Johnson clubbed his game winning double to the left field corner in the bottom of the 10th to score Dillon Head. In the play prior to Beloit winning, Hallquist made a terrific catch at second base, and then threw to Angel Cepeda covering the base at second to double up the runner Starlyn Caba. Even with this, Beloit still found a way to win the game.
Game three of this six-game series comes up on Thursday night at 7:05 PM EST. The Cubs have now dropped three straight games to Beloit dating back to April. Right-hander Nazier Mulé gets the start for South Bend on Thursday night.