Soto Shines, Kernels Score Two Late, Knock Off Beloit 6-4
Cedar Rapids, IA - Charlee Soto allowed just one hit across five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks, while the Kernels offense scored a pair of late runs to top Beloit Friday night 6-4 to even the series at 2-2. Charlee Soto made his second start of the
Cedar Rapids, IA - Charlee Soto allowed just one hit across five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks, while the Kernels offense scored a pair of late runs to top Beloit Friday night 6-4 to even the series at 2-2.
Charlee Soto made his second start of the season and was dominant to begin the game. Across his season-high five innings, the former first-round pick did not allow a run or a walk while striking out six and allowing just one hit en route to retiring 15 of the 16 batters he faced in his home debut.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the third inning, the Kernels got on the board first. With one out, Kaelen Culpepper doubled to right center. Kyle Debarge followed with a walk. Brandon Winokur then singled to left field, scoring Culpepper to make it 1-0. A Billy Amick walk then loaded the bases for Khadim Diaw, who got hit by a pitch to drive in a run and make it 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, Caden Kendle increased the Cedar Rapids lead. With one out, Kendle belted his first professional home run, a solo shot to right to make it 3-0.
In the home half of the fifth, the Kernels added one more. A pair of walks to Winokur and Amick, followed by a Gabriel Gonzalez infield single, loaded the bases for Diaw, who produced a run with a fielder’s choice to make it 4-0.
With Soto out of the game, Beloit started to rally back in the sixth. Colby Shade tripled to begin the inning, then after consecutive hits by Wilfredo Lara, Yiddi Cappe, Ryan Ignoffo and Fenwick Trimble, the Sky Carp scored four times to even the game at 4-4.
That stayed the score until the eighth. With one out, Kendle doubled down the right field line and scored one batter later on a Misael Urbina go-ahead RBI double to put the Kernels back on top 5-4. A batter later, Urbina came home to score on a Winokur double to give the Kernels an insurance run and up the edge to 6-4, the score that would be the final.
With the lead, Jacob Wosinski went back out in the top of the ninth and closed out the game, retiring the side in order to cap off three scoreless innings out of the bullpen en route to his first win of the year.
The win improves the Kernels to 4-3 on the season and evens the six-game series with Beloit at 2-2. Game five of the series is set for tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Alejandro Hidalgo gets the start for Cedar Rapids opposite Brandon White.