Kernels Set New Midwest League Season High with 24 Runs, Blast Lansing 24-5

Lansing, MI – After one-run victories in the first two games in the series against Lansing, Cedar Rapids left little doubt in a 24-5 blowout victory in game three of the series Thursday night.

Entering on a five-game winning streak, the Kernels' offense got off to a hot start in the top of the first inning. Tanner Schobel led off the game with a double, and after a Kala’i Rosario walk, Ben Ross delivered an RBI single to put the Kernels ahead 1-0. The next batter, Noah Cardenas, then came through with a sacrifice fly to put the Kernels ahead 2-0.

That was the score at the start of the third inning when back-to-back walks put runners on first and second with one out. Cardenas then singled to drive home Rosario, and with runners on first and second, Ross scored all the way from second on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Jose Salas, Misael Urbina and Jeferson Morales then delivered three straight singles, two of them run-producing to make it 6-0. After a groundout, Schobel came to the plate with two on and crushed his second home run in as many days to make it 9-0 Kernels.

A home run for Lansing in the bottom of the third made it 9-1 Cedar Rapids, which was the score to begin the fifth frame. After a walk led off the top of the fifth, Emmanuel Rodriguez singled to put two on for Ross, who cleared the bases with a two-run double to make it 11-1. Ross then scored on a Cardenas RBI knock to end the top of the fifth with a 12-1 score.

Lansing scored three times in the bottom half of the fifth to cut it to a 12-4 score, but with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Rosario again blew the game wide open. With two outs, Rosario crushed a flyball over the centerfield wall for a grand slam to put Cedar Rapids up 16-4.

Lansing got a run in the bottom of the seventh, and the score read 16-5, entering the top of the ninth. At that time, position player Danny Bautista Jr. for the Lugnuts entered to pitch and was greeted by a Kernels offensive onslaught. Ross led off the frame with a home run, then two singles and two hit-by-pitches loaded the bases and scored a run. With the score 18-5 and the bases full for Rodriguez, the Cedar Rapids outfielder send a ball deep into the night sky for the Kernels’ second grand slam of the night, making it 22-5. The next batter, Rosario, singled, and then Ross blasted his second home run of the inning, setting the score at 24-5, which would the final.

The 24 runs, 20 hits, eight ninth-inning runs, five home runs and two grand slams are all Kernels' season highs. The runs, hits (tied) and home runs are also single-game bests in the Midwest League this season. The Kernels (28-20) have taken the first three games of the series against Lansing (21-27), and the win extends the Cedar Rapids winning streak to a season-high six games. Game four of the set is tomorrow night, with Marco Raya back out on the mound opposite Jacob Watters.