LumberKings earn series win with 5-2 victory over Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, IA - Though nothing could match the excitement of a no-hitter on Friday night and a walk-off result Saturday night, the Clinton LumberKings (10-14) were more than happy to cruise to a 5-2 win Sunday afternoon. Their victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels (13-11) in the series finale earned them their third road series win of the season.

Scoreless with two outs in the second, Kernels' starter Felix Jorge (L, 1-2) appeared to be on his way towards another dominant start. But singles by both Gianfranco Wawoe and Wayne Taylor extended the inning, and allowed Kristian Brito to come to the plate vs. Jorge. Brito sent one well over the short porch in left field, as his first home run of the season made it 3-0 Clinton after 1.5 innings.

For the fifth consecutive start, Clinton starter Pat Peterson (W, 4-1) allowed no more than one earned run. The lefty scattered six hits and struck out five over six innings. The lone run scored against Peterson came in the sixth inning. Three consecutive two-out singles by Trey Vavra, Max Murphy, and J.J. Fernandez cut the Kernels' deficit to two, but Peterson struck out T.J. White and stranded the tying runs on base.

Clinton added insurance in the seventh inning with two more two-out runs. Nelson Ward, who finished a home run short of the cycle, doubled with one out in the inning, and after Estarlyn Morales walked, the pair pulled off a double steal of second and third base. With two outs, Joe DeCarlo lined a single into left field, which plated both Ward and Morales, and made it 5-1 Clinton.

Cedar Rapids threatened vs. the Clinton bullpen in the final three innings, but the pen did not break. Jarrett Brown worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning and allowed two hits in the eighth inning, but did not allow a run in his two inning outing. Troy Scott allowed a two-out triple to Pat Kelly in the ninth inning, and Kelly scored on a wild pitch. Scott then got Zack Larson to look at a called third strike to close out the game and the 5-2 Clinton win.

With a single in his first at-bat, Wawoe extended his hit streak to a league high 16 games. In addition to the three hit game for Ward, his second of the season, Wayne Taylor recorded his first three hit game of 2015 and extended his hit streak to a season high five games.

Off of the road series win, the LumberKings head home to begin their first extended homestand of the season. Clinton will welcome the Peoria Chiefs and then the Kane County Cougars for three games each. First pitch of the series opener vs. the Chiefs is scheduled for Monday night at 6:30 CT at Ashford University Field. Lukas Schiraldi (1-2, 5.00) is set to throw for Clinton, while righty Luis Perdomo (1-0, 1.59) is scheduled to start for the Chiefs. The LumberKings broadcast can be heard on WCCI 100.3 FM, WCCIRadio.com, and LumberKings.com.