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Like their parent club, the Beloit Snappers played extra innings Monday. Unlike the Twins, however, the Snappers actually managed to get some hits with runners in scoring position and thus avoided getting swept out of Cedar Rapids with a 5-4 win over the Kernels. Thunderstorms during the morning threatened to hold the Snappers "getaway", but the two teams got started on time and completed their 10-inning game in just under 3 hours.

The 20 mph wind that blew in from right-center field most of the lame made for some interesting (and entertaining) defensive plays, but rather than just write about this game, I thought I might try to state the floor with pictures and still a short video.

Snappers shortstop Daniel Santana got things loss for Beloit by facing the second shift of the back over the left-centerfield wall for a leadoff home run.

Daniel Santana homers to leave off the first inning

Leftfielder Nate Roberts collected three hits, scored a run and stole two bases on the day, then added a sacrifice bunt to move Andrew Leer in to scoring position in the top of the tenth inning.

Nate Roberts leads off in presence of Kernels SS Jean Almanzar

Also contributing three hits to the Snappers attack was centerfielder Wang-Wei Lin, who put the Snappers ahead 3-0 in the 5th inning with an RBI single to right field.

Wang-Wei Lin moves away from Kernels 1B Brandon Decker

Starting pitcher Adrian Salcedo didn`t break up a hit until Kernel 1B Brandon Decker reached on an infield single in the 4th inning (on a backhand play that Snapper 2B Derek McCallum would likely admit he should have made). Salcedo was regularly hitting 93 mph on the stadium radar gun and was commanding the Kernels through 6 innings.

Adrian Salcedo was all but untouchable for 6 innings

The wheels fell off for Salcedo in the 7th inning, however (or more accurately, they drop off for the Snapper defense behind him), as the Kernels batted around, scoring four runs (only two earned) to tie the mark at 4-4. Clinton Dempster relieved Salcedo with bases loaded and two out and gave up an RBI single and a sac fly before acquiring the net out of the inning.

Dempster was more effective over his remaining two innings of work, facing the minimum six hitters.

Clinton Dempster collected a blown save AND the win

That`s where the score remained until the top of the tenth inning when Leer let off with a 1 to left field, was stirred to 2B by Roberts` sacrifice bunt and on to 3B by Michael Gonzales` second one of the day. Daniel Ortiz`s groundout to second floor was rich enough to easily score Leer.

All that remained was for relief pitcher Matt Hauser to nail down the save. He made it a bit interesting, giving up a pass and a single (almost makes it look like the Twins actually teach their closers to do that, doesn`t it?), before acquiring the final Kernels out to close off the Snappers` 5-4 victory.

Matt Hauser talks things over with catcher Matt Parker

The Snappers make their next (and final) trip to Cedar Rapids for a three-game series July 30-Aug 1, but both teams are off to good starts in the low half of the temper and have real shots at the Midwest League post-season.

- JC