Kernels Open Series With Bees With A Victory
Neither team scored through the first three innings. Cedar Rapids scored their first run in the top of the fourth. The three first batters in the inning all got base hits to load the bases but none of the balls were hit hard. Julio Perez then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Kernels a 1-0 lead. Cedar Rapids made it 2-0 when Efren Navarro hit a leadoff homerun in the sixth inning.
Cegarra ended up going six innings allowing two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Yensi Lopez came into the game in the seventh inning. After getting the first out, he allowed consecutive base hits before Jeremy Moore hit a 3-run homerun to give the Kernels a five-run lead.
For the second consecutive day, the Bees scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Michael Anton took a shutout into the eighth and registered two outs in the frame before Adrian Ortiz picked up his second hit of the day. After a wild pitch moved him to second, Ortiz scored on a David Lough single. Mike Moustakas then came to the plate and hit his first professional homerun to get the Bees within two runs but that was as close as the Bees would get.
Ortiz was the only Bee with more than one hit as he extended his hitting streak to ten games. Ben Swaggerty and Tony Bradley each pitched an inning of scoreless baseball. Bradley's ERA is now down to 0.56.
Game two of the three game series is set for Tuesday night. Matt Mitchell gets the start for the Bees. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at Community Field, online at www.GoBees.com or by calling (319) 754-5705. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 and the game can be heard on 1490 KBUR and online at www.GoBees.com.