MWL1 Cedar Rapids Kernels

Cedar Rapids Falls in First-Half Finale

June 15, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels fell 13-3 to the Burlington Bees Sunday afternoon at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in the final game of the first half. Ryan Walker drove in two RBIs on his third double of the season. Bryan Haar added a run-batted-in on a sacrifice fly in the sixth while Chad Christensen collected two hits and a run scored. Mitch Garver reached the base paths for the 24th straight game and came in to score in the sixth.

The Kernels ended the first half with a 31-39 record while Burlington finished at 38-31.

For the first time in the series Burlington struck the scoreboard first.

The Bees plated one run to lead 1-0 in the top of the third when Erick Salcedo came across on a double-play grounder hit by Chad Hinshaw.

Burlington stung again in the top of the fourth by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring six runs to make it a 7-0 advantage. Salcedo recorded an RBI-liner that plated Angel Rosa. Kernels' starter Ethan Mildren was hit by the line drive ball on the play and exited immediately after.

Kody Eaves doubled in Ranyelmy Mendoza and Salcedo in the next at bat in the fourth to tally two additional runs for the Bees. Mike Fish nailed an RBI-single that brought in Eaves and Hinshaw crossed the plate on a wild pitch from Wilson. Eric Aguilera capped off the six-run fourth inning by hitting in Fish on a sacrifice fly to right field.

Ethan Mildren (2-4) exited the game for Cedar Rapids after being hit by a line-drive in the top of the fourth. The starter went 3 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits along with one strikeout.

Jared Wilson replaced Mildren in the middle of the fourth. Wilson pitched 1 2/3 frames and gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits while striking out two.

Alex Muren entered from the bullpen to begin the top of the sixth for Cedar Rapids. Muren hurled 2 1/3 innings and surrendered four runs on five hits along with two strikeouts in the relief outing.

Cedar Rapids got on the scoreboard with three runs in the sixth to cut the edge to 7-3. Bryan Haar drove in Tanner Vavra on a sacrifice fly to left and Ryan Walker blasted in Chad Christensen and Mitch Garver on a two-out double to cut into the Bees' lead.

Victor Alcantara (4-3) left the mound midway through the bottom of the sixth. The Burlington starter allowed three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out five and walking three.

Alan Busenitz took the mound for the Bees during the sixth frame. The reliever gave up no runs and two hits over the span of 1 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out one.

The Bees added four runs in the top of the eighth to make it an 11-3 edge. Salcedo recorded his second RBI by tripling in Stephen McGee and later scored on an RBI-single by Eaves. Fish brought in Eave on a sacrifice fly to left-center field and Aguilera drove home Hinshaw on a one-out double to end the four-run frame.

Todd Van Steensel entered in the middle of the eighth for the Kernels. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits over 1 2/3 frames on the mound accompanied by four strikeouts.

Joey Krehbiel toed the rubber for the Bees to open the bottom of the eighth and finished after one scoreless, hitless inning where he struck out two batters.

Eaves tallied his fourth hit of the game on a two-run homer over the right field in the ninth to make it a 13-3 lead for the visiting team.

Ben Carlson closed the contest for Burlington and secured the 13-3 win on a scoreless, hitless frame in the ninth.

The Kernels enter the Midwest League All-Star Break beginning Monday and return to action Thursday, June 19, to open the second-half with a four-game series at Kane County. Pitcher Yorman Landa and Kohl Stewart along with infielder Bryan Haar will travel to the MWL All-Star Game hosted by West Michigan on June 17. The Kernels will travel to Peoria from June 24-26 before returning home to face Clinton from June 27-30 at the end of the month.

June 27th is a Kernels Friday Night Mug Club Night presented by 98.1 KHAK. It's also Autism Action Jersey night where the Kernels players will be wearing special jerseys that will be sold during the game. The first 1,000 fans into the gates that night will receive a free Kernels stadium snow globe to commemorate Halfway to Christmas and there will be a fireworks show following the game against the Lumber Kings.

Tickets are available at www.kernels.com . You can also visit the Kernels Ticket Office at Veterans Memorial Stadium or call 319-896-7560. Kernels' games are broadcast live on KMRY Radio (93.1 FM/1450 AM) and streamed online at www.kernels.com.

Check out the Cedar Rapids Kernels Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 15, 2014


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