Rosario’s Eighth Inning RBI Pushes Kernels Past Chiefs 3-2

Cedar Rapids, IA – With runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning Kala’i Rosario produced an RBI ground out to put Kernels on top 3-2, the score which would be in the final in the Kernels’ fourth straight win over Peoria.

After a three home run first inning a night ago, Cedar Rapids again struck first on Saturday night. Noah Miller led off the inning with a walk, then after a hit by a pitch and a passed ball, Rosario produced an RBI with a groundout to put the Kernels ahead 1-0.

In the top of the second, Peoria got the run back. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases to begin the inning, and after a line drive double play got the first two outs, a wild pitch scored Darlin Moquette to tie the game 1-1.

In the bottom half of the second, the Kernels got the lead back. Singles by Willie Joe Garry Jr. and Keoni Cavaco put runners on the corners with no outs for Kyler Fedko, who drove a fly ball to the warning track that was caught but deep enough to score Garry Jr. on a sacrifice fly to put Cedar Rapids up 2-1.

That was the score until the top of the fifth inning. With one out for Peoria, Francisco Hernandez singled, then was running on a ground ball to first base, allowing him to go from first to third. There with two outs, he came home to score on a balk to once again even the game at 2-2.

Those two runs were the only ones allowed by Kyle Jones in his sixth innings of the work. The right-hander threw just 62 pitches allowing five hits and a walk with two strikeouts in his second quality start of the season.

With the score still tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Mikey Perez led off with a walk. After a strikeout, Ben Ross ripped a double to put runners on the corners with one out. The next batter, Rosario, then grounded one to second base, scoring Perez from third to give the Kernels their third and final lead at 3-2.

In the top of the ninth inning, Miguel Rodriguez came on out of the bullpen and slammed the door with his league-best 12th save of the season as part of a 1-2-3 ninth inning in the one-run Kernels win.

The win for Cedar Rapids (55-34) is the fourth in a row over Peoria (46-43) as the Kernels clinch their 10th series win of the season. The Kernels wrap up the six-game series with the Chiefs tomorrow afternoon at 1:05, giving the ball to Christian MacLeod against Inohan Paniagua.