Soto, Bengard Dominate, Kernels Take Opening Day in Wisconsin 4-1

Appleton, WI – Charlee Soto and Spencer Bengard combined to allow just two hits across eight scoreless innings, aiding the Kernels to a 4-1 Opening Night victory in Wisconsin Friday night.

2023 first-round pick Charlee Soto got the Opening Day start for Cedar Rapids and was electric in his four innings of work. After escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning, Soto went on to pitch four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts in his high-A debut, reaching 100 MPH on the radar gun multiple times.

With Soto holding things down on the mound, the Kernels offense got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Kyle DeBarge singled and stole second to begin the inning. After Brandon Winokur walked to put two runners on, Billy Amick singled home DeBarge to score the first run of the season and put Cedar Rapids on to 1-0.

The Kernels doubled their lead in the sixth. Debarge walked to begin the frame, and the next batter, Winokur, lashed a double into the left field corner, scoring Debarge all the way from first to put Cedar Rapids on top 2-0.

That stayed the score until the seventh, with Spencer Bengard picking up right where Soto left off on the mound. In his first outing of the season, Bengard did not allow a hit in four scoreless innings, notching six strikeouts compared to one walk, en route to his first victory of the season.

In the seventh, two singles and an error loaded the bases for the Kernels with no one out in the frame. The next batter, Caden Kendle, then delivered Cedar Rapids some breathing room, lining a double into the left field corner scoring two to up the Cedar Rapids lead to 4-0.

The Timber Rattlers got a run on three singles in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late as the Kernels came away with the 4-1 Opening Night victory.

The win improves Cedar Rapids to 8-2 in its last 10 opening days and is the first in the Brian Meyer era. The Kernels look to make it a 2-0 start tomorrow afternoon in game two of the series with Wisconsin at 1:10. Alejandro Hidalgo gets the start for CR opposite Bishop Letson.