Kernels’ Pitching Shines Again, Cedar Rapids Tops Dayton 4-2

Dayton, OH – The combination of Marco Raya and Christian MacLeod combine for twelve strikeouts and allow just two runs as the pair lead Cedar Rapids to its second straight victory over Dayton, 4-2, Friday night.

After scoring a pair of runs in the win on Thursday night, the Kernels used that same formula again on Friday. A Tanner Schobel walk and an Emmanuel Rodriguez single put runners on the corners with no one out to begin the game. The next batter Noah Cardenas then scored Schobel on a fielders choice, and after a Ben Ross single, Noah Miller scored Rodriguez on an RBI single to give the Kernels a 2-0 advantage.

Dayton countered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the first inning, After being shutout a night ago, Edwin Arroyo singled to start off the game for the Dragons, and after a single by Austin Callahan behind him, he came around to score on a double play to cut the Cedar Rapids lead to 2-1.

That 2-1 score was the tally to begin the third when the Kernels re-opened the lead to two. Rodriguez took ball four to begin the frame and scored all the way on first on a Ross double to put Cedar Rapids ahead 3-1.

In the fifth, the Kernels got back on the scoreboard when Rodriguez crushed his seventh home run of the season with a monster blast to right to give Cedar Rapids its largest lead of the night at 4-1.

The score remained 4-1 all the way until the bottom of the ninth, thanks to again the effort of the Cedar Rapids pitching staff. Marco Raya made his eighth start of the season for the Kernels and went a season-best four innings allowing just the lone run on three hits while grabbing three strikeouts with no walks. Christian MacLeod then came out of the bullpen and was just as sharp. For a CR bullpen that led the Midwest League with a 3.30 ERA entering the night, MacLeod put together his best and longest outing of the season. The left-hander went the remaining five innings, allowing one run on four hits to go along with his nine strikeouts in his first win of the season.

Dayton scored that run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Back-to-back singles put two runners on to begin the inning, and with one out Mat Nelson notched an RBI single to make the score 4-2 Cedar Rapids and put the tying run on first base. But that would be as far as he got, MacLeod ended the ninth-inning rally by punching out the last two hitters to end the game 4-2.

The win of the Kernels (31-24) is the second in a row over Dayton (28-27) as Cedar Rapids evens the six-game series and two wins apiece after dropping the first two games of the set. The Kernels try to take the series advantage tomorrow night with Zebby Matthews on the mound for his second start of the season against Jose Acuna.