Severino homers twice to slay Dragons 7-2
Cedar Rapids, IA – Cedar Rapids second baseman Yunior Severino went 4-for-4 with both the game-tying and go-ahead home runs to lead the Kernels past Dayton 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon, reclaiming the best record in the Midwest League. Severino drove in four as the Kernels improve to 38-21 and reduce
Cedar Rapids, IA – Cedar Rapids second baseman Yunior Severino went 4-for-4 with both the game-tying and go-ahead home runs to lead the Kernels past Dayton 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon, reclaiming the best record in the Midwest League. Severino drove in four as the Kernels improve to 38-21 and reduce their magic number to six.
David Festa threw extremely well for Cedar Rapids, taking a no-decision after tossing 5.0 frames of two-run ball. He struck out five, walked none and scattered six hits while picking off a pair of runners. The righthander threw 53 strikes on 81 pitches.
Dayton scored first with a two-out, two-run single from Garrett Wolforth in the second inning. Kyler Fedko kept the scoring at two as he threw out Wolforth at second attempting to stretch his hit into a double. The Kernels responded in the home half as Dylan Neuse reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on a Wander Javier RBI double ripped down the left field line.
Severino hit the first of his two homers in the fourth, going opposite-field out to left for a game-tying solo home run. The score remained even at two as Festa exited after five and Bobby Milacki worked a scoreless top of the sixth.
Kyler Fedko drew a walk to lead off the home half of six, then Severino clobbered a massive go-ahead two-run bomb out to left-center. Pat Winkel followed with a solo homer golfed down the right field line, adding insurance with a 5-2 lead.
Cedar Rapids added two more in the seventh as Fedko scalded an RBI triple to right-center and scored on Severino’s fourth hit of the game.
Milacki would pick up the win in relief with 1.2 scoreless, scattering a hit and three walks while striking out two. Miguel Rodriguez earned a hold by tossing 1.2 shutout frames, then Tyler Palm recorded the final two outs on a game-ending double play.
Game three of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. on Thursday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
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