Kernels Rally From Behind, Top Wisconsin 6-4, Take the Opening Weekend Series

Appleton, WI - The Kernels scored a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to erase a late one-run deficit and come away with a 6-4 win Saturday afternoon, clinching a win in the Opening Weekend series in Wisconsin.

After never leading in the Cedar Rapids 4-1 win on Opening Night, Wisconsin took the lead early on Saturday. After the first eight Timber Rattler batters went down in order, a hit-by-pitch, single and a walk loaded the bases with two outs in the third. The next batter, Blake Burke, was hit by a pitch to plate the game’s first run and put Wisconsin on top 1-0.

But the Wisconsin lead did not last. In the top of the fourth, back-to-back walks from Brandon Winokur and Billy Amick put two on with one out for Rayne Doncon, who blasted a three-run home run to left center field to jump Cedar Rapids in front 3-1.

In the middle innings, the Timber Rattlers battled back. In the bottom of the fourth, Eduardo Garcia doubled to begin the frame, and Yhoswar Garcia singled to drive him home and make the game 3-2.

In the fifth, a Jadher Areinamo double and a Blake Burke walk put two on to begin the inning. After a wild pitch advanced them both into scoring position, an RBI groundout and another Garcia double plated them both to lift the Timber Rattlers ahead 4-3.

That stayed the scored until the seventh after Gabriel Yanez came out of the Cedar Rapids bullpen to toss a pair of scoreless innings.

In the seventh, the Kernels tied things up. Caden Kendle singled to open the frame, and after a Kyle DeBarge base hit moved him into scoring position, he scored on a Winokur RBI groundout to tie the game at 4-4.

In the eighth, the Kernels scored twice to take the lead without the benefit of a hit. Walks by Doncon and Gabriel Gonzalez, followed by a Danny De Andrade hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases, and a wild pitch scored Doncon to put the Kernels ahead 5-4. After a Jaime Ferrer walk re-loaded the bases, Kendle produced a run with an RBI groundout to up the Cedar Rapids lead to 6-4, the score that would be the final.

After the Kernels grabbed the lead, Paulshawn Pasqualotto slammed the door out of the bullpen. In his Midwest League debut, Pasqualotto tossed a pair of scoreless innings on no hits and two strikeouts en route to a six-out save.

The win improves the Kernels to 2-0 to begin the season and clinches a victory in the Opening Weekend series at Wisconsin. Cedar Rapids wraps up the first series of the year against the Timber Rattlers tomorrow at 1:10. Tanner Hall gets the start for CR opposite Chandler Welch.