BELOIT—The last time the Beloit Sky Carp left the field at ABC Supply Stadium it was with a sense of dejection. It had been their sixth consecutive loss, and it put them at 1-11 at home in the second half of the season as they headed into the all-star break.
It was a different scene Tuesday as the Sky Carp left the field in celebration as they edged the Quad Cities Bandits 7-5 to extend their winning streak to four.
Beloit swept the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers over the weekend in its return from the pause.
Bennett Hostetler said the break came at the right time.
“It was a good reset for everyone,” he said. “We’ve had really good at-bats as a team, our pitching staff has been really good, and just everything has been good for us.”
Hostetler has been a big part of that resurgence for Beloit. He is riding a five-game hitting streak, and he led the team with two RBIs Tuesday.
“I’ve just simplified things,” Hostetler said. “I’ve been doing some early work when we get to the field, just trying to simplify everything. With it being my first year catching, everything’s kind of new to me, but it’s starting to pay off.”
Beloit starter M.D. Johnson issued a walk to Diego Hernandez to start the game. Hernandez traveled around the bases quickly as he stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sac fly by Luca Tresh.
The River Bandits’ lead would not last long as the Sky Carp put up a three-run first inning.
Jose Salas walked, stole second and scored when Nasim Nunez smashed a double to left. Victor Mesa Jr. hit a line drive single to put runners on the corners, and Hostetler hit an infield single to make it 2-0.
A groundout advanced the runners up a base, and Davis Bradshaw hit a soft groundout to the pitcher to bring home the final run of the inning.
Quad Cities tied the game at three in the third after Hernandez hit a one-out single and then scored when Peyton Wilson launched a triple into the right field corner.
A Bradshaw single leadoff the fourth, and Rosario’s one-out double put Beloit back ahead.
Bradshaw was thrown out trying to score on a Marcus Chiu ground ball, but Kyler Castillo and Salas each hit RBI singles to give the Sky Carp a 5-3 lead.
The River Bandits got one back in the fifth after Tresh hit a line drive single to left that scored Hernandez, who had singled.
Johnson exited after tossing five innings. He allowed four runs, three of them earned, on four hits while striking out six.
Hostetler said that Johnson has “looked good all year.”
“Every time he pitches,” he continued. “He goes out there and gives us a chance to win, which is what he did today. He didn’t have his best stuff, but for him that doesn’t necessarily matter. He can go out there and compete and limit the other team’s offense.”
Beloit got a couple insurance runs in the seventh. After Salas drew his second walk, Mesa Jr. tripled to deep center to bring him home, and Hostetler grounded out to make it 7-4.
Quad Cities got a run back on a sac fly in the eighth, but the Sky Carp’s bullpen kept Beloit in front, pitching four innings with each reliever only allowing one hit.
Chandler Jozwiak allowed a double and a walk to begin the ninth, but he struck out three-straight batters to seal the win for Beloit.
“He’s been really good,” Hostetler said. “He’s been pitching in some high pressure situations, and he’s never folded. That’s just kind of how he is. Being in that situation tonight, I had all the confidence in the world in him, and so did he.”
The Sky Carp will look to continue their win streak Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. against the River Bandits.
Boxscore
Sky Carp 7, River Bandits 5
BELOIT (ab-r-h-rbi)—Salas, 2b, 2-2-1-1; Nunez, ss, 4-1-1-1; Mesa Jr., cf, 4-2-2-1; Hostetler, c, 4-0-1-2; Bradshaw, lf, 4-0-2-0; Marinez, dh, 4-0-0-1; Rosario, 3b, 4-1-2-0; Chiu, 1b, 4-1-0-0; Castillo, rf, 4-0-1-1. Totals: 34-7-10-7.
QC (ab-r-h-rbi)—Hernandez, cf, 4-3-2-0; Wilson, 2b, 4-2-2-1; Tresh, c, 2-0-1-3; Negret, rf, 2-0-0-1; Emshoff, dh, 3-0-1-0; Tolbert, ss, 4-0-1-0; McCullough, 3b, 2-0-0-0; Shrum, 1b, 4-0-0-0; Dixon, lf, 4-0-1-0. Totals: 29-5-8-5.
QC………102 010 010—5 8 0
Beloit………300 200 20—7 10 1
E: Bradshaw (6). PB: Hostetler (12). DP: Beloit 3, QC 0. LOB: QC 5, Beloit 5. 2b: Wilson, Tolbert, Nunez, Rosario. 3b: Wilson, Mesa Jr. SB: Salas (8), Hernandez (23). CS: McCullough (4), Dixon (2).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): QC, Neuweiler 5.0-7-5-5-1-3; Phillips 1.2-3-2-2-1-1; Paulino 1.1-0-0-0-0-1. Beloit, Johnson 5.0-4-4-3-2-6; McInvale 1.0-1-0-0-0-1; Mendez 1.0-1-0-0-0-2; Puckett 1.0-1-1-1-0-1; Jozwiak 1.0-1-0-0-1-3.
WP: Johnson 7 T: 2:17. Att. 1,614.
