Kernels Erupt for 15 Hits, Best Chiefs 8-4 for First Win of the Season
MWL Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels Erupt for 15 Hits, Best Chiefs 8-4 for First Win of the Season

Published on April 4, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Six different Kernels record multi-hit games as Cedar Rapids combines for eight runs on 15 hits en route to its first win of the season, 8-4 over Peoria, Saturday afternoon.

After jumping out to an 8-0 lead on Friday, Peoria got on the board first on Saturday. With two outs in the fourth, back-to-back singles by Jesús Báez and Josh Kross put two runners on. After an error moved them both into scoring position, Báez scored on a wild pitch to put the Chiefs on top 1-0. Won-Bin Cho then worked a walk and stole second to put two in scoring position again, this time for Jalin Flores, who roped a two-run double to extend the Peoria lead to 3-0.

But the Kernels had a response. Caden Kendle doubled on the first pitch of the fifth inning, and after a Jaime Ferrer single and a Marek Houston walk, the bases were loaded with no one out. Following a strikeout, Khadim Diaw worked a walk to force home a run to put Cedar Rapids on the board. The next batter, Brandon Winokur, tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run single. A double steal put two back into scoring position for Danny De Andrade, who gave CR its first lead of the season with a two-run single to make it 5-3. De Andrade moved into scoring position on a Jacob McCombs single and scored on Kendle's second double of the inning to grow the lead to 6-3.

Cedar Rapids added one more in the sixth. Houston tripled to start the inning and scored a batter later on an Eduardo Tait sac fly to lift the Kernels on top 7-3.

Peoria got a run back in the seventh. To begin the inning, José Suárez lifted a home run to right to get the Chiefs back within three at 7-4.

In the eighth, Tait started the frame with a double and came home two batters later on another Winokur RBI base hit to set Cedar Rapids ahead 8-4, the score that would be the final.

On the mound, Michael Ross got the win after a scoreless inning in his high-A debut. Brent Francisco came on and picked up the save, recording the final 12 outs, allowing just one run across four innings of work with one strikeout.

The win evens the season-opening weekend series at 1-1 and sets up a rubber match in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Nolan Santos gets the start for the Kernels opposite Blake Aita at 1:05.

Check out the Cedar Rapids Kernels Statistics

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