MWL1 Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels fizzle in the drizzle, 11-4

Published on April 23, 2005 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


Kernels fans were asking who would stop the rain on Friday night. The Kernels themselves were wondering who would stop Peoria. In the end answers to both questions were hard to come by at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Chiefs pounded out 11 hits and just as many runs in an 11-4 lopsided victory over the Kernels in front of 1,747 hearty souls. Peoria takes the series with three wins as both teams embark on long overnight road trips to Michigan.

Lefty Chris Shaver kept the Kernels off balance for seven innings to pick up the victory. Cedar Rapids starter Billy Layman took the loss after allowing four runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched.

Peoria touched up Layman but truly thrived against reliever Lennyn Morillo when the right-hander appeared to start the sixth. The Chiefs batted around and scored seven runs - five earned - to put the game well out of reach. The inning featured five consecutive Peoria safeties, a walk, a hit batsmen, and a two-run error by left fielder Drew Toussaint.

A three-run eighth gave the Kernels some hope for a comeback but the team could not mount a serious charge. Peoria reliever Luis Brito began the inning by striking out Nate Sutton but things quickly took a turn for the worse as he walked Sean Rodriguez. Richard Giannotti remained hot as he stroked a single to right - one of two hits on the evening - to advance Sutton. Toussaint hit a fly ball double to right that allowed Sutton to score and moved Giannotti to third before both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Two batters later Tommy Duenas lofted a fly ball that carried to the wall for an RBI triple, but a strikeout ended the rally.

Billy Boyer had a line drive single to left in the seventh to score Michael Collins with the team's first run of the evening.

Kernel relievers Chris Waters and Frederic DeLoizaga-Carney both pitched scoreless innings of relief.

A steady drizzle turned to a heavier rain around the sixth but the weather eventually cleared off and the teams completed the game without any stoppages.

Layman struggled from the onset Friday night as he quickly spotted Peoria two runs in the first inning. He uncorked a pair of wild pitches, both of which moved runners into scoring position and one of which plated a run. He was removed from the game with one out and two on in the fourth and watched as Waters allowed both inherited runners to score, the second coming on the third of four Kernel wild pitches.

Opposing staffs continue to mow down Kernels at an alarming rate. The team entered Friday's contest leading the league in whiffs and were set down on strikes an additional 12 times by the Chiefs in the series finale.

The Kernels will now embark on a nine day road trip that will see them head to Lansing for four games with the Toronto Blue Jays newest affiliate before returning to Cedar Rapids for a day off. The team will then face the Swing of the Quad Cities for four at John O'Donnell Stadium in Davenport before returning home May 2 to face the Beloit Snappers.

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Midwest League Stories from April 23, 2005


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