Home Runs by Ross, Cardenas Led Kernels to Fourth of July Win over Quad Cities 4-1

July 4, 2023

Cedar Rapids, IA – With one on in the bottom of the fifth inning, Noah Cardenas smashed his second home run of the season over the wall in left field, and three innings later, Ben Ross cranked a solo shot to put the Kernels up 4-1, the score which would

Cedar Rapids, IA – With one on in the bottom of the fifth inning, Noah Cardenas smashed his second home run of the season over the wall in left field, and three innings later, Ben Ross cranked a solo shot to put the Kernels up 4-1, the score which would be the final on the Fourth of July at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

In front of a crowd of nearly 5,000 on July 4, Ben Ross got the Kernels on the board first in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Emmanuel Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, the outfielder stole second base and scored on a Ross double into the left field corner to put Cedar Rapids ahead 1-0 after the first.

That 1-0 score stayed all the way until the fifth inning, with Zebby Matthews keeping Quad Cities held down on the mound. In his fifth start for the Kernels this season, Matthews went 5.2 innings, allowing a run on three hits while picking up five strikeouts in a winning effort.

With the score still 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Kernels got a base runner on a Misael Urbina walk. The next batter Noah Cardenas then launched his second home of the season out to left field to place the Kernels' lead at 3-0.

Quad Cities got the board for the first in the top of the sixth frame. Singles by Jack Alexander and Herard Gonzalez put runners on the corners for Gavin Cross, who produced a run reaching on an error to cut the Kernels' lead to 3-1.

That 3-1 tally remained until the bottom of the eighth inning when with two outs, Ross notched his Midwest League-best 13th home run of the season to grow the Kernels’ advantage to 4-1, which would be the final after A.J. Labas came on to close the game for Cedar Rapids, earning his first high-A save.

The win of the Kernels (46-30) is the fourth straight on July 4 and the third straight on the holiday over Quad Cities (35-41). The win improves the Kernels to 24-13 at home in 2023 and 8-5 against the River Bandits. Game two of the series is set for tomorrow at 6:35, with Jaylen Nowlin on the mound for the Cedar Rapids Mat Grapplers opposite Mason Barnett.