Kernels Power Pops, In Route to 11-2 Win over Captains

(CEDAR RAPIDS, IA) – The Lake County Captains (16-19) ran into the power of the Cedar Rapids Kernels (25-11), who belted five home runs in an 11-2 victory on a 85-degree Thursday evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Cedar Rapids scored in three separate innings, posting seven in the first two. In the bottom of the first, Seth Gray hit a two-run shot and in the bottom of the second Wander Javier and Christian Encarnacion-Strand both have two-run four baggers as part of a five-run frame.

Mason Hickman would strike out two batters and work a scoreless third, but allowed seven earned runs off six hits overall.

Lake County offensively had two base runners through the first four innings, a Korey Holland single in the third and a Christian Cairo walk in the fourth. Kernels starter Cade Povich went 5.1 innings, allowing only two hits and three total base runners.

Cedar Rapids tacked on their final four runs in the fifth. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth worked by Jordan Jones, Cedar Rapids rattled off four straight hits in the bottom of the fifth.

The inning was highlighted by back-to-back blasts, a three-run home run for Kyler Fedko and a Jeferson Morales solo blast to left center field, to make it an 11-0 game.

The Captains did put runs up on the board in the top of the seventh. A single from Gabriel Rodriguez and double from Raynel Delgado led off the effort. With one out, Aaron Bracho stepped up and lined a single to left field to plate both base runners. Bracho now has 5 runs batted in, in his last four games.

Raymond Burgos and Damon Casetta-Stubbs, in relief posted scoreless appearances. Burgos permitted only one hit over two innings while Casetta-Stubbs tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.

Lake County was limited to one baserunner in the final two innings, dropping their first game of this series.

The Lake County Captains are back at it tomorrow Friday, May 20 for game four against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Gavin Williams gets the call for Lake County while Sawyer Gipson-Long starts for Cedar Rapids. First pitch is at 7:35 p.m. EST.

Coverage of the game can be found on WJCU.org/Captains and the MiLB First Pitch app.