Sky Carp Fall in pitcher’s duel

EASTLAKE, OH -- Despite a quality start from Jared Poland and a monster solo homer from Osiris Johnson, Beloit dropped the first game of its 12-game road trip, 2-1 to Lake County on Tuesday night at Classic Park.

The Captains struck first in the top of the first, as Joe Lampe drove in Milan Tolentino on an RBI single. Poland limited the damage, though, retiring the next two batters to strand runners on second and third.

In the fourth, Lake County doubled its lead, as Joe Donovan ripped a solo homer to left field to make it 2-0.

From there, Poland retired seven of the final eight batters he faced to turn in his fifth quality start as a member of the Sky Carp.

In the top of the sixth, Johnson belted a mammoth homer to deep left – a shot that traveled 468 feet – to get Beloit on the scoreboard, slicing the deficit to 2-1. The longball was Johnson’s fifth of the season.

The homer was the only run Beloit could scratch of Captains hurler Aaron Davenport, who fired seven innings of one-run ball to celebrate his 23rd birthday.

Cristian Charle pitched a scoreless seventh and Kyle Crigger turned in a zero in the eighth to keep Beloit within one, but the Sky Carp only managed a Yiddi Cappe single in the top of the ninth, and their comeback effort fell short.

The six-game series continues Wednesday morning, with first pitch scheduled for 10am central and 11am eastern time. Ike Buxton will take the mound for Beloit in his High-A debut.

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