Pitching dominates, Morales blasts grand slam in 7-1 Kernels win

Peoria, IL – Three Cedar Rapids Kernels combined to not allow an earned run and Jeferson Morales belted an eighth-inning grand slam to fuel a 7-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Wednesday afternoon. The Kernels now have their best mark of the season at 13 games over .500 and have won six of their last seven games.

Sean Mooney pounded the strike zone – throwing 53 strikes on 67 pitches – and tossed 5.0 innings of four-hit, zero-walk baseball with four punchouts. He allowed a lone unearned run on his way to earning his first win of the season.

Cedar Rapids struck first in the opening frame as Christian Encarnacion-Strand blasted a two-out triple high off the right field wall then scored on a Seth Gray RBI double off the wall in right-center. Peoria scored their unearned run in the second, tying things at 1-1.

With one away in the fifth, Morales drew a walk and Encarnacion-Strand lined a single into left. Peoria brought on a reliever who struck out the first batter he faced then issued free passes to Wander Javier, Charles Mack and Alerick Soularie, the latter two being bases-loaded walks to give the Kernels a 3-1 lead.

Cody Laweryson retired nine of 10 batters faced as he worked the sixth, seventh and eighth, striking out two while allowing a lone baserunner on an error.

Morales added to the scoring with a towering grand slam in the eighth out to deep left-center.

Melvi Acosta finished things off in the ninth by working around a pair of hits.

Game three of the series is set for 6:35 a.m. on Thursday at Dozer Park in Peoria.

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