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MWL Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels Tie Home Run Record Saturday

August 21, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Cedar Rapids Kernels tied their Kernels-era single-season home run record Saturday and hosted a near-season-high crowd of 3,439 fans at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium, but the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers posted a 12-5 victory.

Wisconsin (44-50) and Cedar Rapids (53-42) each tallied one run in the first inning. Joey Weimer's RBI double gave the Timber Rattlers a brief 1-0 advantage, An RBI groundout by Matt Wallner evened the game at 1-1.

Both sides scored within the fourth inning which ended with the Timber Rattlers in front, 3-2. LG Castillo grounded into a fielder's choice that led to two errors with Zavier Warren coming home on the play. Kekai Rios followed with a sacrifice fly. Cedar Rapids answered via Wallner's solo shot to right field.

The Timber Rattlers stretched the lead to 4-2 during the fifth, but Michael Helman brought the Kernels within 4-3 in the sixth. Je'Von Ward hit a fifth-inning RBI double for Wisconsin. Helman crushed a sixth-inning solo blast over the left-field wall. His clout was the 117th Cedar Rapids round-tripper this year to tie the 2004 team for the most homers in a season in the 28-year era of Kernels baseball.

Eight consecutive runs pushed Wisconsin into a 12-3 blowout. A potential inning-ending double play in the seventh turned into a multi-error play that allowed Carlos Rodriguez and Weimer to score. Within the top of the ninth, Felix Valerio produced a two-run home run before Rios, Antonio Piñero, and Rodriguez added run-scoring singles in a six-run outburst.

The Kernels plated two late runs and trimmed the final margin down to 12-5 Timber Rattlers. Anthony Prato and Alex Isola each had one-out RBI singles for Cedar Rapids during the bottom of the ninth.

Iowa alumnus Brady Schanuel (5-0) tossed two shutout innings and received credit for the win. Nash Walters followed with a hold, and Cam Robinson picked up the save. Cody Laweryson (1-4) was the losing pitcher.

Up next, Cedar Rapids hosts Wisconsin at 2:05 p.m. Sunday in the finale of this six-game homestand. The Kernels clinched a series victory with Friday's 3-1 triumph and take a 4-1 series advantage into the matinée. Coverage of Sunday's contest will be on www.kernels.com and MiLB.TV.

Reader Recognition Day features a pregame parade for the 1,000-minute readers. The parade will begin at approximately 1:15 p.m. which is 50 minutes before first pitch. Kids Eat Free Sunday sponsored by Great Clips and Z102.9 is on tap as well as the final round of Baseball Bingo presented by the Ox Yoke Inn for this season's previous winners. Kids are invited to run the bases and play catch in the outfield following the game.

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.

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Midwest League Stories from August 21, 2021


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