Kernels Score Three in the Eighth, Rally to Beat Whitecaps 7-5

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Cedar Rapids offense scored three times to take game four of the series with West Michigan 7-5, the Kernels’ fourth win in five games.

In Marco Raya’s first start of the year at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jace Jung led off the game with a solo home run making the contest 1-0 just a batter in. The Whitecaps added another run in the inning when Roberto Compos scored on a Raya balk to make the game 2-0 after a half inning.

Cedar Rapids answered back with a run of their own bottom of the second when a Noah Miller RBI single scored Kenoi Cavaco to make it a 2-1 contest.

In the top of the third, West Michigan got that run back on another Jace Jung solo home run to right field. Jung later exited the contest when he was hit in the helmet going back into second base on a pickoff attempt.

Raya’s night finished after three innings of work, the right-hander got the no-decision allowing three runs on three hits while striking out two.

The Whitecaps extended their lead to the largest it would be in the top of the fifth inning when Steele Walker delivered an RBI single to make it 4-1.

In the bottom of the fifth frame, Miller again came through, this time delivering a two-out, two-run bases-loaded single up the middle to make it a 4-3 game after five.

The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning; first, a Justice Bigbie solo homer made it 5-3 West Michigan, then a Misael Urbina RBI groundout made the game 5-4 after six innings.

It would stay that way until the bottom of the eighth inning, and after a walk and an error put runners on first and second with no one out, a Kala’i Rosario RBI double scoring Noah Cardenas tied the game at 5-5. Then, back-to-back sac flies, one by Tanner Schobel and one by Urbina, gave the Kernels their first lead of the night, making it 7-5 after eight.

Regi Grace came on for the Kernels in the ninth and slammed the door with a 1-2-3 frame securing Cedar Rapids’ (9-9) third win in the first four games of this series against West Michigan (10-9). Game five of the series is set to take place tomorrow afternoon, Pierson Ohl gets the start for the Kernels against Wilkel Hernandez at 1:05.