Baddoo's Homer Not Enough Friday

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - After six consecutive days without a game, the Cedar Rapids Kernels returned to action Friday at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium but dropped a 5-2 decision to the Kane County Cougars. Akil Baddoo sparked Cedar Rapids' comeback attempt with a two-run home run, but it was the only offense for Cedar Rapids in the opener of a seven-game homestand.
Mack Lemieux (1-2) tossed five shutout innings to earn the victory for Kane County (7-5). Lemieux stranded a pair of runners in the first inning and yielded a leadoff double in the second before finding a solid rhythm. He retired 10 consecutive batters and 12 of the final 14 hitters that he faced in his first win of the year.

The Cougars scored the first five runs in Friday's tilt. During the third inning, Yoel Yanqui opened the scoring with an RBI double. Luis Silverio followed with a sacrifice fly, and Ernie De La Trinidad added an RBI single. Silverio tripled in the fourth to drive in Yanqui for a four-run lead. Manny Jefferson stretched the lead to 5-0 within the sixth by coming home after a passed ball coupled with a throwing error.
Baddoo's blast trimmed the deficit to 5-2 in the seventh inning for Cedar Rapids (6-2). With two outs and Ben Rodriguez at first base, Baddoo crushed a full-count pitch over the right-field wall and secured his first round-tripper as a Kernel.
Abraham Almonte and Breckin Williams shut down the Kernels over the last two frames to wrap up Kane County's 5-2 win. Almonte notched his team-high second hold with a perfect eighth inning, and Williams worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to garner his first save this season.
Blayne Enlow (0-1) took the loss in Friday's contest. Enlow allowed four runs over a career-high 4.2 innings pitched while picking up three strikeouts.
Game two of this series is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Saturday. The probable pitchers are Kernels right-hander Nick Brown (0-0, 7.71 ERA) and Cougars right-hander Brian Shaffer (0-1, 6.23 ERA). Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will call the action on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and also online at www.kmryradio.com, www.kernels.com, and MiLB.TV.
Star Wars Night includes appearances by members of the 501st Central Garrison and a free Kernels Han Solo T-Shirt Giveaway for the first 1,000 fans through the gates Saturday. Cedar Rapids will wear special Star Wars jerseys that will be sold during the game via silent auction to benefit the East Central Iowa Autism Society.
Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids home games by visiting www.kernels.com, going to the Kernels Ticket Office, or calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.