Palacios Blasts Bees in 15-5 Kernels Win

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels claimed a 15-5 wire-to-wire win over the Burlington Bees Friday in front of a season-high 3,540 fans at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Jermaine Palacios registered a career-best two home runs, five total runs, and five hits while going 5-for-6 and finishing a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
Five runs in the first inning gave the Kernels (35-26) a 5-0 lead. Palacios collected an RBI double before Lewin Diaz added an RBI single. Brandon Lopez hit a sacrifice fly, and Ben Rortvedt and Aaron Whitefield followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

Both sides scored in the second inning, leaving Cedar Rapids with a 6-2 advantage. Roberto Baldoquin brought in two runs for Burlington (23-35) with his third home run of the season. Jaylin Davis answered for the Kernels by driving in Palacios.
Palacios launched a fourth-inning home run that extended the Kernels' lead. He lifted a leadoff solo shot to left field and pushed Cedar Rapids to a 7-2 lead.
Six combined runs came home during the sixth with four from the Kernels. Burlington's Sam McDonnell hit a two-run homer, which was his third blast this year. Mitchell Kranson started a Cedar Rapids rally with an RBI single. Rortvedt delivered a two-run single, and Whitefield produced an RBI single for an 11-4 Kernels edge.
The Kernels stretched their lead to 14-4 in the seventh including another home run by Palacios. He crushed a solo homer to left field for his personal-best 10^th round-tripper of the season. Lopez drove in two runs later in the frame on a triple. With two homers Friday, Palacios now sits one clout behind Davis and Beloit Snapper Miguel Mercedes for the Midwest League lead.
Burlington notched a late run during the top of the eighth, but Travis Blankenhorn responded for Cedar Rapids in its half of the inning. Derek Jenkins plated Brennan Morgan on an RBI single. Blankenhorn cleared the tall left-field wall for his seventh Kernels home run to put Cedar Rapids' advantage at 15-5.
Clark Beeker (6-2) secured his team-high sixth victory Friday. He allowed four runs over six innings pitched and registered a game-high five strikeouts. Andrew Vinson (3-6) yielded seven runs and a career-high 12 hits in four frames in a losing decision. Cedar Rapids recorded a season-high 15 runs and 22 hits within a 10-run triumph.
Game two of this four-game series will be 6:35 p.m. Saturday. Kernels right-hander Eduardo Del Rosario (5-3, 5.30) is the probable pitcher for that contest. 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.
The Kernels will host a youth baseball clinic Saturday at the ballpark from 9:00 a.m. to Noon for children aged 5-12. Saturday is also State Fair Night, featuring state fair food and fair games during the contest. Saturday's game will be followed by postgame fireworks.
Fans can purchase tickets for all Kernels 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.