KERNELS WIN 2-1 LEAD BY STELLAR PITCHING PERFORMANCES

*Cedar Rapids, IA – *One timely swing of the bat was enough for the Kernels to guarantee themselves a split of their final home stand of the regular season.

Leftfielder Jefferson Morales connected for his seventh home run of the season, providing Cedar Rapids enough runs to beat South Bend 2-1 Thursday night. Morales’ 318-foot home run in the fifth inning went off the top of the wall and bounced into the leftfield fan porch with Willie Joe Garry, Jr. on base. Morales increased his runs batted in total to 30 with the home run.

South Bend, which tallied its only run in the fourth inning, was limited to just three hits.

Cedar Rapids starter Travis Adams (2-3) walked the first batter of the game and the first two Cubs hitters who led off the fifth inning. After that, Kernels’ pitching took over.

Adams retired the final three hitters he faced before Bob Milacki relieved him in the sixth inning. Sean Mooney entered the game with two-out in the seventh, and Miguel Rodriguez pitched the ninth inning to record his fourth save of the season.

After allowing the back-to-back walks to lead off the fifth inning, Cedar Rapids’ pitchers retired the next 11 Cubs’ batters and 15 of the final 16.

The victory guarantees the Kernels a split of the six-game homestand, after beating South Bend on Tuesday and Wednesday. Game four of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. Friday at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapids and South Bend will play for the Midwest League’s Western Division title next week, when the playoffs begin on Tuesday. The Kernels will host game two on Thursday (Sept. 15th) and, if necessary, the deciding game of the best-of-three series on Friday (Sept. 16th). Playoff tickets for Sept. 15th are on sale now through the Kernels’ ticket office.

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