Kernels Buzz Bees in Rubber Game, 12-2
BURLINGTON, IOWA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels scored in each of the first four innings of a rubber game Thursday at Community Field on their way to a 12-2 blowout victory at the Burlington Bees. The win gave the Kernels a 2-1 series victory to wrap up a brief three-game road swing.
Cedar Rapids (27-19) grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. A sacrifice fly from Zander Wiel brought in Daniel Kihle for the first run of Thursday's contest.
The Kernels followed with back-to-back four-run rallies during the second and third innings. In the top of the second, LaMonte Wade's bases-loaded walk opened the scoring. Luis Arraez scored the next run on a wild pitch before A.J. Murray produced a sacrifice fly. A dropped fly ball near the end of the inning allowed Wade to score and push Cedar Rapids to a 5-0 lead.
Another four-run outburst in the third stretched the Kernels' lead to 9-0. Jermaine Palacios led off with a solo home run, his first blast of the season. Wade added an RBI single, and Wiel ripped a two-run double. With that hit, Wiel secured a career-high 14-game hit streak and tied Peoria's Edmundo Sosa and South Bend's Daniel Spingola for the Midwest League's longest hit streak this year.
Two more tallies during the top of the fourth extended Cedar Rapids' advantage to 11-0. Sean Miller collected an RBI triple and later scored on an RBI double from Kihle.
The Bees (20-26) finally scratched the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Juan Moreno's two-out RBI single trimmed Burlington's deficit to 11-1. Jared Walsh recorded a two-out RBI single of his own during the eighth inning, but that was the final offense for Burlington in a lopsided loss Thursday.
In the top of the ninth, the Kernels scored one final run when Brian Olson's sacrifice fly allowed Wade to score. Wade drew three walks and also singled to reach a career-high 26-game on-base streak.
Fernando Romero jumped to 2-0 after receiving the victory, allowing just one run over five innings. Sam Gibbons was credited with a hold after giving up only one run over three strong innings out of the bullpen. Burlington's Ronnie Glenn conceded a career-high nine runs - eight earned runs - in just 2.2 innings pitched and fell to 1-4. Offensively, Kihle posted a game-high three hits for Cedar Rapids and shared game-high honors in runs with Wade at three apiece.
Cedar Rapids returns home for a four-game series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Friday's opener is set for 6:35 p.m. as Kernels right-hander Dereck Rodriguez (1-5, 5.89 ERA) goes to the mound against Timber Rattlers right-hander David Burkhalter (2-2, 2.04 ERA). Catch all of the action with Morgan Hawk and Chris Kleinhans-Schulz on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and online at www.kmryradio.com, www.kernels.com and MiLB.TV.
Friday is Star Wars Night, and the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a free Kernels "The Bats Awaken" T-Shirt. The Kernels will wear special Star Wars jerseys that will be auctioned off at the game to support the Hydrocephalus Assocation, and characters from the 501st Central Garrison will come to Friday's tilt as well. Join the 98.1 KHAK Kernels Friday Mug Club by purchasing a 16 oz. souvenir mug for $6, and fans with their souvenir mugs can buy $3 refills of regular draft beer or soda at every Friday home game.
Tickets for all Kernels home games and the 2016 Midwest League All-Star Game are available at www.kernels.com, the Kernels Ticket Office and by calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The ticket office is closed on Sundays except on Kernels Sunday home dates when it will open at 11:00 a.m.