Kernels Walk-Off TinCaps 4-3, Win Fifth Straight

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Miguel Briceno lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring the game-winning run in a 4-3 walk-off victory over Fort Wayne Wednesday afternoon, clinching the Kernels fifth straight win.

After a win in the series opener on Tuesday, the Kernels got on the board first on Wednesday. With two outs in the second, Rayne Doncon worked a walk in front of Miguel Briceno, who doubled to put two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Jay Thomason, lined a double to right, plating both runners to put Cedar Rapids on top 2-0.

That stayed the score until the top of the fifth. With one out, Zach Evans ripped a triple and scored a batter later on a Jack Costello RBI single to cut the Cedar Rapids lead to 2-1.

Still trailing by a run in the eighth, the TinCaps took their first lead of the day. With one out, Lamar King Jr. tripled and scored a batter on an Alex McCoy go-ahead two-run home run to put Fort Wayne ahead 3-2.

Down to their final three outs in the bottom of the ninth, Khadim Diaw reached on an error to begin the inning. After a groundout moved him to second, he scored on a Yasser Mercedes game-tying RBI double to pull the Kernels even 3-3. After Mercedes scored on a dropped third strike, putting runners on the corners with one out, Briceno hit a fly ball to right, scoring the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to propel the Kernels to a 4-3 walk-off victory.

On the mound, Kernels pitching stranded 17 TinCap runners on base in the win. The most runners left on base in a Midwest League game this season, and most by Cedar Rapids pitching in a win since 2021.

The victory is the Kernels fifth straight, eighth straight at home, improves Cedar Rapids to 12-2 in its last 14 and to 20-15 on the season. Game three of the series with Fort Wayne is set for Thursday at 6:35. Ivran Romero gets the start against Carson Montgomery.