Kernels Rally to Score Four in the Bottom of the Eighth, Top Dayton 8-4

Cedar Rapids, IA - After the Dragons scored three times to tie the game in the top of the eighth, the Kernels used two RBI hits from Keoni Cavaco and Luke Keaschall to open an 8-4 lead they would never lose in a victory over Dayton for the second straight night.

After scoring eleven runs in their first win of the season last night, the Kernels' offense picked up right where it left off tonight. Kernels leadoff man Luke Keaschall crushed a solo home run to put Cedar Rapids on top right away, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning.

That stayed the score until the top of the fourth. Three straight Dayton singles by Ethan O’Donnell, Sal Stewart and Cam Collier produced a run to tie the game back up at 1-1.

The score stayed tied at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning due to Kernels starter Andrew Morris's dominance. In his second start of the season, Morris went six innings, allowing one run on three hits with nine strikeouts. Outside of the fourth inning, where the Dragons produced their lone run off of Morris, the right-hander produced 1-2-3 innings in his other five innings of work.

In the fifth, the Kernels grabbed the lead back. A walk, fielder’s choice and another walk put two batters on with one out. Jay Harry then reached on a fielder’s choice, which brought home a run to put Cedar Rapids back on top. The next batter, Ricardo Olivar, then produced an RBI single to make it a two-run game. After a Rubel Cespedes walk, Jose Salas capped off the inning with an RBI base hit to lift Cedar Rapids ahead 4-1.

In the top of the eighth, Dayton started a two-out rally of its own to climb back into the contest. With two outs, Yan Contreras was hit by a pitch. After an Ethan O’Donnell single put two runners on, Sal Stewart drove them both in with a two-run double to bring the game back within a run. The next batter, Cam Collier, then tied the game on an RBI single to make it 4-4 going to the bottom of the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth frame, a Salas single, Misael Urbina walk and an Agustin Ruiz hit by pitch loaded the bases for Cavaco with no one out. Cavaco then ripped a two-run double into the left field to put the Kernels up 6-4. The next batter, Keaschall, then produced two more runs with an RBI single to make it an 8-4 game, the score which would be the final.

Kyle Bischoff pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings in relief to close out the victory and pick up his first career high-A win in the Kernels' second-straight victory over Dayton. Game four of the six-game series is set for tomorrow at 6:35, with John Klein on the mound taking Dayton’s Rhett Lowder.