Kernels Sweep Pair from Chiefs

PEORIA, IL – The Cedar Rapids Kernels swept a doubleheader from the Chiefs on Saturday, winning 13-6 in the completion of Friday’s suspended game and 4-1 in the nightcap at Dozer Park.

GAME ONE:

The Peoria Chiefs fell to Cedar Rapids, 13–6, in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, a contest that was suspended due to rain on Friday night.

Peoria struck early in the bottom of the first when Ryan Campos launched a two-run home run to left field, marking his first professional homer and giving the Chiefs a 2–0 lead.

Cedar Rapids responded in the top of the second. Misael Urbina connected for a three-run home run to give the Kernels a 3–2 advantage. The Chiefs tied the game in the bottom of the third when Michael Curialle tripled with one out and scored on a groundout by Johnfrank Salazar to even the score at 3–3.

The Kernels regained the lead in the top of the fourth with three more runs and continued to add on. In the third, back-to-back RBI singles by Khadim Diaw and Nate Baez plated two runs to make it 5–3. Kevin Maitán followed with an RBI double to push the lead to 6–3. In the fourth, Baez added a two-run double down the left field line to extend the Kernels’ lead to 8–3. Then, play was halted at 8:08 p.m. and officially suspended at 9:14 p.m.

When the game resumed on Saturday, the Kernels picked up where they left off. Billy Amick delivered a sac fly in the fifth to make it 9–3. Peoria got a run back in the bottom half on a balk by right-hander Logan Whittaker, trimming the deficit to 9–4. Whittaker earned the win after tossing 2.0 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.

Cedar Rapids broke the game open in the seventh. Kyle DeBarge hit a two-run home run, and Gabriel Gonzalez followed with a two-run double to make it 13–4.

The Chiefs answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Campos brought in a run on a fielding error by left fielder Gonzalez, and Jon Jon Gazdar came home on a wild pitch to cut it to 13–6. However, Peoria was unable to rally further and dropped game one.

GAME TWO:

Peoria pitching limited Cedar Rapids to just four hits in game two of Saturday’s twinbill, but could not muster up enough offense in a 4-1 defeat.

Chiefs starter Dionys Rodriguez cruised through a 1-2-3 first inning, but ran into trouble in the second. After a pair of walks set up the Kernels, Danny De Andrade delivered with a double to the wall in center to stake Cedar Rapids to a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, the Kernels tacked on an additional run on an RBI fielder’s choice from Kevin Maitan.

In the home half of the second, the Chiefs scratched a run on an RBI hit by Johnfrank Salazar to cut the Kernels lead to 2-1. Salazar reached two more times in the nightcap, lifting his season average to .379.

Peoria relievers D.J. Carpenter and Tanner Jacobson kept the Kernels at bay in the middle innings, combining on 3 ⅓ scoreless innings. Jacobson has not allowed a run over seven innings this season.

Cedar Rapids created some distance in the top of the sixth, plating two to create the final margin. Maitan recorded a ground-rule double to extend the lead to 3-1. Two batters later, Kyle DeBarge earned a sacrifice fly on a bang-bang play at the plate, giving the Kernels a 4-1 lead.

The Chiefs finished the contest with just three hits, one shy of their season low.

Right-hander Darlin Saladin is slated to start Sunday’s series finale against Cedar Rapids. First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m. at Dozer Park.