MWL Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels Prevail in 11 Innings, 6-5

Published on July 30, 2021 under Midwest League (MWL)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a 6-5, 11-inning victory Friday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Cedar Rapids (43-33) nearly registered a wire-to-wire win before Wisconsin (36-39) pushed the contest into extra innings.

Edouard Julien opened Friday's game with a bang. On a full-count pitch, Julien belted a leadoff home run to left-center that produced a 1-0 Kernels advantage.

Cedar Rapids increased its lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Julien doubled and scored on Wander Javier's RBI single. Javier came home later in the inning when Seth Gray delivered an RBI single of his own.

The Timber Rattlers nearly tied the game within their half of the sixth. David Hamilton hit a triple that brought in Korry Howell. Joe Gray Jr. followed with a run-scoring single but was thrown out at second base to end the inning with the Kernels still in front, 3-2.

In the eighth, both teams tallied sacrifice flies. Max Smith drove home Alex Isola for a 4-2 edge before Gray's fly allowed Nick Kahle to score and cut the difference to 4-3.

Wisconsin was down to its last out when it forced a 4-4 tie during the ninth. The Timber Rattlers were still alive after Carlos Rodriguez's two-out single, and Kahle blooped a single to right field that evened the score.

The Kernels and Timber Rattlers each plated one run within the 10th. Jair Camargo put Cedar Rapids ahead on an RBI single, but Thomas Dillard tied the game at 5-5 with a bases-loaded walk.

Daniel Ozoria scored the decisive run in the 11th inning. He was a pinch-runner at second base when an error during a potential inning-ending lineout helped him come home and lift Cedar Rapids to its 6-5 triumph.

Melvi Acosta (2-1) ended up with a win and a blown save Friday. He was preceded by Zach Featherstone and Luis Rijo who were both credited with holds. Erik Manoah Jr. closed the contest for the Kernels by striking out the side and earned his first Cedar Rapids save.

Wilton, Iowa native Evan Reifert (0-3) yielded two unearned runs in extra innings and was charged for the loss as Wisconsin fell to 0-5 in extra-inning tilts this year.

Up next, the Kernels will play the Timber Rattlers at 6:35 p.m. Saturday in the penultimate contest of this six-game series. Right-hander Cody Laweryson (0-2, 4.01) is scheduled to start for Cedar Rapids, and Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will have the broadcast on www.kernels.com.

Cedar Rapids hosts the Quad Cities River Bandits for its next homestand from August 3 through August 8. Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids Kernels home games by visiting www.kernels.com, going to the Kernels Ticket Office, or calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.

Check out the Cedar Rapids Kernels Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from July 30, 2021


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