Lugnuts Offense Too Much for Kernels, Lansing Tops Cedar Rapids 10-7
Lansing, MI - Lansing struck for seven runs across the first two innings and didn’t look back Friday night, besting the Kernels 10-7 to even the series 2-2. After the Kernels opened the scoring in the first three games of the series, Lansing got on the board first on Friday.
Lansing, MI - Lansing struck for seven runs across the first two innings and didn’t look back Friday night, besting the Kernels 10-7 to even the series 2-2.
After the Kernels opened the scoring in the first three games of the series, Lansing got on the board first on Friday. In the bottom of the first, a pair of singles put two runners on, and they both came in on an error to make it 2-0.
In the second, the Lugnuts blew it open. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Leo De Vries, who made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. The next batter, Casey Yamauchi, then upped the Lasinng lead to 5-0 with a two-run single. After Yamuchi stole second, he scored on a T.J. Schofield-Sam RBI base hit, and Schofield-Sam touched home on a Pedro Pineda RBI triple to extend the lead to 7-0.
The Kernels got on the board in the top of the third. With two outs, Caden Kendle worked a walk and came in to score on an error to make it 7-1.
But that didn’t stop Lansing. Ryan Lasko lashed an RBI double to produce a run in the third, and a Cameron Leary sac fly in the fourth extended the Lugnuts' lead to 9-1.
Cedar Rapids, however, wouldn’t go away. In the top of the fifth, a Maddux Houghton single followed by a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases for Billy Amick, who brought in a run with a hit-by-pitch of his own. With the bases still loaded, Brandon Winokur dropped a two-run single into right to cut the deficit to 9-4. After a walk again loaded the bases, Jaime Ferrer also reached on ball four to drive in a run and make it 9-5.
It stayed 9-5 until the seventh. Pineda singled to begin the Lansing half of the inning, and after he stole second, he scored on a Gunner Gouldsmith single to make it a five-run game again, 10-5.
The Kernels scored twice on a Jay Thomason two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning to make it 10-7, but it was too little too late in the three-run loss.
The defeat drops the Kernels to 58-41 on the season and evens the set in Lansing at 2-2. Game three in the series with the Lugnuts is set for Saturday night at 6:05. Jose Olivares gets the start for the Kernels opposite Kyle Robinson.