Kernels Grab Finale in Beloit 6-5, Split Series with the Sky Carp

Beloit, WI - Cedar Rapids scored four times in the top of the first inning and held on Sunday afternoon to take the series finale in Beloit 6-5 and clinch a split of the six-game series with the Sky Carp.

After dropping three straight games, the Kernels' offense came out swinging on Sunday. In the top of the first inning, walks from Kaelen Culpepper and Caden Kendle, followed by a Brandon Winokur hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases with no one out. The next batter, Gabriel Gonzalez, then lifted Cedar Rapids on top 1-0 with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, with two runners still on, Khadim Diaw blasted a three-run home run out to left to grow the lead to 4-0.

Beloit got a run back in the bottom of the first. Yiddi Cappe singled to begin the frame, and after he moved to third on a second base hit. He scored on a Gage Miller sac fly to make it 4-1.

It didn’t take long for the Kernels to get that run back. With one out in the top of the third, Gonzalez crushed a solo home run to increase the advantage back up to 5-1.

But the Sky Carp wouldn’t go away. In the bottom of the third, singles from Payton Green and Miller put two on for Garret Forester, who made it 5-2 with an RBI single. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Michael Snyder worked a walk to bring it to 5-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, Emaarion Boyd led off the inning with a single. He then stole second, stole third and scored on an error to cut the Cedar Rapids lead to 5-4.

The Kernels got a small amount of breathing room in the fifth. With one out, Brandon Winokur reached on a single. On an errant pick-off attempt, he went all the way up to third. The throw to third to try to get him there also got away, and Winokur came all the way around to score to put Cedar Rapids back up 6-4.

In the sixth, Beloit again trimmed the lead to one. With one out, Eric Rataczak reached third on a triple. A batter later, he scored on a Boyd sac fly to close the gap back to 6-5.

But that would be it for the scoring of the day. Paulshawn Pasqualotto capped off three one-run innings by tossing a scoreless seventh. Behind him, Samuel Perez got two outs in the eighth, and Jacob Wosinski came on to slam the door with a four-out save in the 6-5 win.

The victory improves the Kernels to 20-12 on the season as Cedar Rapids finishes the series in Beloit with a split. The Kernels return home for a six-game series against Peoria next week. Game one is set for Tuesday at 6:35, and both starters are TBD.