Kernels Late Rally Comes Up Short, Beloit Tops Cedar Rapids 8-7

Cedar Rapids, IA - Cedar Rapids rallied to cut a six-run deficit down to one but couldn’t complete the comeback Thursday night, dropping game three of the series to Beloit 8-7.

The Kernels struck first in the bottom of the first frame. Brandon Winokur walked with one out, and after he stole second, he scored on a Billy Amick base hit back up the middle to make it 1-0.

In the top of the second, Beloit scored twice on two walks and two hits to jump in front 2-1.

In the bottom half of the frame, the Kernels answered right back. Nate Baez led off the inning with the first home run at Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2025, a solo shot to left field, to even up the score at 2-2.

In the top of the third, Beloit again responded. Fenwick Trimble singled to open the inning, and after a base hit moved him to third, he scored on a Michael Snyder sacrifice fly to put the Sky Carp back in front at 3-2.

In the fourth, Beloit added three more on a Ryan Ignoffo three-run home run to increase the lead to 6-2.

After a pair of walks to begin the fifth inning, RBIs from Connor Caskenette and Emaarion Boyd continued to grow the Sky Carp lead to 8-2.

In the bottom half of the fifth, the Kernels began to chip away. Khadim Diaw doubled down the third base line, then scored on a Baez RBI groundout to make it 8-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Amick walked to lead off the inning, then Gabriel Gonzalez went to the opposite field with a double, scoring Amick to cut the Sky Carp lead to 8-4. Diaw then hit a single into center, and Gonzalez came home to make it a three-run game at 8-5.

In the home half of the seventh, Baez walked, and Caden Kendle singled to set up the top of the Kernels' order. Brandon Winokur then muscled a broken bat single to right field, scoring Baez to close the gap to 8-6.

That stayed the score until the bottom of the ninth. Baez once again led off the inning with a walk, then, with one out, Kyle DeBarge singled to right field. After a strikeout for the second out of the frame, Billy Amick ricocheted a single off the pitcher for an RBI base hit, cutting the Sky Carp lead to 8-7. Beloit then went to Nick Maldonado out of the bullpen, who came on and got the final out of the game as the Sky Carp hung on for the one-run win.

The loss drops the Kernels to .500 at 3-3 on the season and to 1-2 halfway through the series against Beloit. Game four is set for tomorrow at 6:35, with Charlee Soto on the mound for Cedar Rapids opposite Thomas White.