Kernels surge to early lead, hold on for 6-4 win
May 12, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release
Stephen Marek (3-1) threw five innings of one hit baseball as the Kernels took advantage of three Dayton errors in a 6-4 win over the Dragons at Fifth Third Field on Thursday.
The win gave the Kernels a split in their four game series with Dayton and improved their record to 17-17, good for third place in the MWL Western Division, 1-1/2 games behind co-leaders Kane County and Peoria.
Marek kept the crowd of 8,495 at Fifth Third Field sitting on their hands as he didn't allow a batter past first base. The only blemishes on a great outing were a first inning single, a walk and a hit batter. The hit batter, second baseman Michael Griffin, was erased trying to steal second base on catcher Brett Martinez.
The Kernels pounded out ten hits, led by Brad Coon going 3-4 with a triple and an RBI. Hainley Statia and Travis Schlichting each had two hits and Dallas Morris had two RBI.
The Kernels took advantage of three unearned runs off Dayton starter Carlos Fisher (4-2) who took the loss. Dallas Morris drove in Statia and Coon with a double in the first and Travis Schlichting and Larry Infante each had an RBI in the fourth inning.
A Brad Coon triple followed by a Jordan Renz RBI single made the lead 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth. That's when Dayton exploded for four runs off Kernels reliever Tim Didjurgis - all with two outs in the sixth. A bases-loaded double by Craig Tatum cleared the bases and made the score 5-4 Kernels.
Cedar Rapids added a critical insurance run in the seventh as Larry Infante drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a Statia single. Hainley was thrown out trying to steal second base, but Brad Coon came through with an RBI single to score Infante and make the score 6-4.
Ryan Aldrige came on to pitch two perfect innings and earn his fifth save of the season, striking out four Dragons.
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