Kernels Spoil Sky Carp Home Opener with 5-3 Win
BELOIT, Wis - A Danny De Andrade go-ahead single broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning and put Cedar Rapids on top for good in a 5-3 win over the Sky Carp Tuesday night. After playing from behind in all three games of the Peoria series,
BELOIT, Wis - A Danny De Andrade go-ahead single broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning and put Cedar Rapids on top for good in a 5-3 win over the Sky Carp Tuesday night.
After playing from behind in all three games of the Peoria series, Marek Houston made sure that didn’t happen to open the series in Beloit. Houston crushed the second pitch of the game over the wall in left, his second home run in as many games, to put the Kernels on top 1-0. The next batter, Eduardo Tait, worked a walk, and three batters later, Jacob McCombs scored him all the way from first on an RBI triple to lift Cedar Rapids ahead 2-0.
The Sky Carp got the board in the bottom of the third. Connor Caskenette singled to lead off the inning, and after he stole second, he scored on back-to-back ground balls to make it 2-1.
The Kernels got the run back in the fourth. A Jaime Ferrer walk, and a Houston single put two on for Eduardo Tait, who singled home a run to put Cedar Rapids back up two, 3-1.
Beloit rallied to tie it. First, in the bottom of the fourth, a two-base error, a steal and a sacrifice fly produced a run to make it 3-2. Then, Cam Cannarella homered to lead off the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.
With the score still tied at 3-3 in the top of the seventh, back-to-back walks from Khadim Diaw and Brandon Winokur put two on for Danny De Andrade. With two outs, De Andrade grounded a single into center, scoring Diaw, and on the play, an error plated Winokur to jump Cedar Rapids back in front 5-3.
Paulshawn Pasqualotto took it from there. The Kernels saves leader in 2025 slammed the door on his first save in 2026 with two perfect innings to lock down the 5-3 win.
Eli Jones got the start on the mound for Cedar Rapids and allowed just one earned run across five innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Behind him, Christian Becerra got the win in his Kernels debut, allowing a run in two innings with three strikeouts.
The win is Kernels third straight and improves Cedar Rapids to 3-1 on the young season. Game two of the six-game series in Beloit is slated for Wednesday at 6:05. Brent Francisco makes his first high-A start opposite Dameivi Tineo.