Four Kernels collect multi-hit nights in wild 10-8 loss to Whitecaps

Cedar Rapids, IA – Four Cedar Rapids Kernels provided multi-hit nights in a roller coaster 10-8 loss to the West Michigan Whitecaps. The Friday night thriller featured six lead changes as Alerick Soularie, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Will Holland and Wander Javier each had a pair of hits to lead the Kernels lineup to 12 knocks. With the loss, Cedar Rapids falls to 43-24 on the season and 0-1 in the second half.

Soularie put the Kernels in front early with a leadoff solo shot blasted out to left in the first. West Michigan plated a pair of runs in the second, then Pat Winkel doubled to open the home half and later scored on a Dylan Neuse two-out RBI single.

The Whitecaps scored two runs in the third and fourth to take a 6-2 lead. Cedar Rapids responded in the bottom of four as Holland singled up the middle followed by a Javier RBI triple blasted out to left-center. Two batters later, Kennie Taylor poked a broken-bat single into right to plate Javier and draw the deficit to two.

West Michigan added a run in the top of the fifth. In need of a rally in the sixth, Holland led off with a single before Javier ripped an RBI double into left. Taylor reached two batters later courtesy of an error, then a strikeout brought Encarnacion-Strand to the plate with two on and two down. The Kernels’ third baseman hammered a go-ahead three-run shot off the batter’s eye to put Cedar Rapids ahead 8-7.

The Kernels bullpen surrendered two runs in the eighth and one in the night, losing a lead in the eighth or later for the second time in as many games.

Orlando Rodriguez was the lone Kernels pitcher to work a scoreless outing, covering 1.2 shutout frames of one-hit ball with three strikeouts.

Game five of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. CT on Saturday.

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