The Beloit Sky Carp’s pitching staff did a fine job preventing the flood gates from opening up against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Wednesday night.
Unfortunately, the River Bandits found just enough cracks to leak some offensive firepower through as they beat the Sky Carp 3-2 at ABC Supply Stadium.
Beloit falls to 10-10 in the second half with the loss and falls behind 2-0 in the six-game homestand. The River Bandits improve to 8-12 and are in fifth place in the Midwest League West while the Sky Carp fall to fourth.
Starter Gabe Bierman, much like all of Beloit’s pitchers Wednesday night, danced around trouble for six innings but limited the Bandits to three earned runs on five hits and two walks.
Quad Cities got the first two runs across in the second inning after Carter Jensen walked and Herard Gonzalez singled to start off the frame before Kale Emshoff doubled to center field.
Bierman put two runners on via a single and walk in the fourth but got a groundout to escape. He was knocked for another run in the fifth after River Town singled, moved to third on a single from Juan Carlos Negret and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Carter Jensen.
The Sky Carp cut the deficit to one run in the sixth. Zach Zubia singled to right before Joe Mack smacked a homer. Mack’s two-out shot to right was his first this season.
Beloit reliever Breidy Encarnacion loaded the bases in the seventh but got a fly out and Caleb Wurster tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Sky Carp tried to rally with two outs in the ninth as Joshua Zamora doubled and Davis Bradshaw put runners on the corners with an infield single, but Jake Thompson grounded out.
Beloit and the River Bandits both had seven hits with Joe Mack leading the Sky Carp with two while Town and Emshoff also recorded two.
Beloit continues the six-game series on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at ABC Supply Stadium.
