Ryan Ignoffo Hits Two Grand Slams, Sky Carp Fly Past Kernels 14-5

Beloit, WI - Beloit’s Ryan Ignoffo crushed a pair of Grand Slams as the Sky Carp slugged their way past the Kernels 14-5 Thursday night.

After Cedar Rapids opened the scoring in the top of the first inning in each of the first two games of the series, things stayed scoreless until the top of the fifth on Thursday. In the top of the fifth frame, the Kernels got on the board first. A Nate Baez single opened the inning. The next batter, Jose Salas, was hit by a pitch, moving Baez into scoring position for Caden Kendle to put Cedar Rapids on top 1-0 with an RBI double.

It didn’t take the Sky Carp long to respond. In the bottom of the fifth, Michael Snyder worked a two-out walk. Behind him, Eric Rataczak reached on error, putting two on for Yiddi Cappe, who tied the game with an RBI single. With still two on base, Rataczak came home to score on the second error of the inning to put Beloit on top 2-1.

Those two unearned runs were the only blemish on Cedar Rapids starter Tanner Hall’s line. The right-hander did not allow an earned run across 4.2 innings on just three hits with two strikeouts.

It stayed a one-run game until the bottom of the seventh when the Sky Carp blew it open. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Gage Miller, who worked another walk to double the Sky Carp lead to 3-1. With the bases still loaded, Ryan Ignoffo came to the plate and blasted a grand slam to open the advantage to 7-1. Behind him, an Echedry Vargas double and a Colby Shade triple combined to cap off the six-run inning and make it 8-1.

The Kernels fought back in the top of the eighth. A Kyle DeBarge walk, followed by singles from Brandon Winokur and Gabriel Gonzalez, loaded the bases for Danny De Andrade, who plated a pair with a two-run double. After him and a Khadim Diaw sacrifice fly made it an 8-4 game, and a Baez RBI single made it a three-run contest at 8-5.

But that was the closest the Kernels would get. The Sky Carp scored six runs for the second consecutive inning in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by Ignoffo’s second grand slam of the night to increase the lead to 14-5, the score that would be the final.

The loss snaps the Kernels' four-game winning streak and drops Cedar Rapids to 19-10 on the season. Game four of the six-game series in Beloit is set for Friday at 6:05 with Jose Olivares on the mound opposite Thomas White.