Snappers swept

Lansing 11 at Beloit 8

W: B. Letko (3-3, 3.70); L: S. Hirschfeld (7-4, 4.03); SV: T. Collins (11)
HR: LAN: J. Tolisano (6).

About the time Steve Hirshfeld was giving up 8 runs for the Beloit Snappers in the 2nd inning of Sunday's contest, I was sitting at the drink rail in Hammond Stadium trying to remember who the fifth member of the Beloit rotation was. How could I forget?

Hirschfeld would probably like to forget Sunday's performance.

Manuel Rodriguez, Jonathan Jaspe, John Tollsano, Johermyn Chavez, and Moises Sierra all took singles off Hirschfelt to start the top of the 2nd inning, which put three runs on the board. Darin Mastroianni doubled to add a fourth before Justin Jackson ground out, adding a fifth. A fielder's choice allowed Raul Barron to reach and took Mastroianni out at home. Dave Cooper singled and Rodriguez, batting around the order, doubled to add six and seven. Jaspe's single to center plated Rodriguez for the 8th run before Tolisano finally lined out to center.

Mark Dolenc tripled in the bottom of the stanza and came home on a Yangervis Solarte ground out to put the Snappers on the board. It seemed almost a footnote after the top of the inning.

Sierra would reach in the 3rd on a fielding error by Juan Richardson. After Mastroianni flew out, Jackson doubled Sierra in for the Lugnuts 9th run.

Back-to-back singles by Rene Leveret and Dolenc, combined with a fielding error by Sierra, put Leveret over the plate for the second Snappers run. Solarte would ground out, plating Dolenc. It was going to take a lot of chipping away for the Snappers to get out of that hole, but chip they did.

Chris Anderson replaced Hirschfeld for the fifth and allowed a double to Chavez. He'd be taken out at 3rd though on a fielder's choice. Mastroianni would then fly into a double play to to end the inning.

The Lugnuts made a pitching change in the sixth, with Joe Wice replacing Brian Letko on the mound. Newly reactivated Paul Kelly doubled and Leveret singled. Dolenc would hit into a double play at scored Kelly to make it 9-4 Lansing.

With one out on the board in the top of the 7th, Jaspe walked and Tolisano launched his sixth home run of the season over the left field wall to add the final pair to the Lugnuts total. Chavez would go down on strike sand Sierra walk before Michael Allen came in to replace Anderson getting Mastroianni to ground into a force out to retire the side.

Michael Barbara took to the mound in the bottom of the 8th, and after getting Chris Cates to pop out, allowed a double to Kelly. Leveret singled to plate Kelly to make it 11-5 Luggies.

Allan de San Miguel singled to start out the ninth inning rally. Richardson followed it up with a single of his own and Andrew Schmiesing's ground out advanced the runners. Jeanfred Brito singled to plate de San Miguel, and Cates doubled in Richardson and Brito. Tim Collins would take over the mound for the Lugnuts at that point and would get Kelly and Leveret to both ground out, ending the inning, with Beloit still down by three.

Brito and Dolenc were both 2-for-4 at the plate, Brito with a walk a run and a RBI, and Dolenc with a triple and a pair of runs. Leveret finished up 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI, while Kelly, serving as the designated hitter, was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, and a pair of runs. Cates would go 1-for-4 at the plate with a walk, a double and a pair of runs scored. Richardson and Dirty were both 1-for-3 with a run, Richardson with a walk as well.

Hirschfeld's final line score was 9 runs, 8 earned, on 10 hits and 2 walks while fanning 2 over 4 innings.

The 3-game losing streak puts Beloit at 21-22 on the season, sixth in the 8-team Western division, 4.5 games out of first.

Beloit takes Monday off before heading out on the road for a four-game series against the Kane County Cougars. Tuesday's game begins at 6:30 PM.

Box
Log
Snappers
Lugnuts



Kelly Activated from DL

The Minnesota Twins have activated Paul Kelly from the disabled list in time for today's game between the Snappers and Lansing Lugnuts. Kelly is coming off of a right hamstring injury sustained in the June 20th game against the Peoria Chiefs. Before he was injured, Paul played in just two games for the Snappers with four hits in six at-bats.

Kelly played for the Snappers during parts of the '05 and '06 seasons, making the Midwest League All-Star team in 2006. From there, the infielder battled a left knee injury that kept him out of the majority of the 2007 season, and the first half of the '08 season.

Prior to this season, Kelly had a career batting average of .280 with 30 doubles and 73 RBIs in 142 minor league games. The Twins' 2nd round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player draft is a graduate of Flower Mound (TX) High School.

The move puts the Beloit active roster at 25. (Snappers)