Beloit’s Yersich sinks Loons in extra innings

Beloit catcher Greg Yersich drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs Wednesday night, leading the Snappers to a 4-3 victory over the Great Lakes Loons at Pohlman Field.

The Loons (44-64 overall, 14-25 second half) squandered a two-run lead to fall to 20 games under .500, their worst mark of the season. It was the Loons’ 29th loss of the season when leading.

Beloit took a 1-0 lead in the second against starter Bryan Morris off a double by Juan Richardson. But in the third, the Loons came back with three runs against starter Henry Reyes. Following a leadoff single by Preston Mattingly, a walk to Parker Dalton and a wild pitch, Erik Kanaby singled up the middle to score Mattingly and Dalton. Later in the inning, Yersich threw wildly to first on an attempted pickoff of Eduardo Perez allowing Andrew Lambo to score from second to make the score 3-1 Loons.

The Snappers cut the Loons’ lead in half in the fifth, capitalizing on an error by Dalton at second base.

Then in the eighth with one out, Yersich hit his seventh home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3. The blast came against Bobby Blevins and was his first homer surrendered, snapping a 38-inning homerless streak.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th inning. Rene Leveret led off the inning with a double to center, his fourth hit of the ballgame. Mark Dolenc struck out trying to bunt pinch runner Allan de San Miguel to third. Richardson lined to right for the second out of the inning. But Yersich followed with a liner to center. Kanaby dove to make the catch, but came up empty and de San Miguel scored the winning run.

Bryan Morris started for the Loons and left after 4 2/3 innings with the lead, surrendering two runs (one earned). Blevins (2-5), pitching for the second time since coming off the disabled list, allowed the tying and winning runs for the loss.

The Loons continue their six-game road trip and third game against the Beloit Snappers Thursday night at Pohlman Field. Game time is 8:00 p.m.