Kernels win slugfest over Wisconsin, 14-9
Published on June 1, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Kaleb Cowart's 5-RBI day was one of many stellar performances at the plate that propelled Cedar Rapids to a 14-9 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in front of 4,044 fans at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday evening. The Kernels (25-30) are now on a modest 2-game win streak, while the Western Division leaders Wisconsin (34-21) lost its first series out of the team's last five.
It didn't take long for Cowart to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, paired with his first run batted in. In the 1st inning, Trevor Hairgrove walked, then Cowart belted the third pitch he saw to the right field gap for his third triple of the season. Cowart scored himself two pitches later on a Frazier Hall sacrifice fly. But the 1st inning was just whetting the offense's appetite.
The Kernels scored a rare 7 runs in an inning in the 2nd, when the first seven hitters reached and scored successfully. Gary Mitchell, Carlos Lugo, and Kevin Moesquit singled, with walks in between their respective at-bats taken by Chevy Clarke and Wendell Soto. The runners progressed one base at a time for the first five runs, before a Cowart 2-RBI double. Hall added another sacrifice fly to his stats for an RBI, and Matt Scioscia hit a single for the final RBI of the inning.
The 9-2 lead increased in the third when Trevor Hairgrove hit a sacrifice fly to score Wendell Soto. The Timber Rattlers scored 7 runs between the 5th and 8th innings, but the Kernels lead never dwindled below 3 runs.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, Carlos Lugo and Soto scored on the same sacrifice fly by Cowart when Wisconsin centerfielder Chadwin Stang lackadaisically threw the ball back to the infield after the catch, a mistake that put the Kernels up 12-9.
The final 2 runs scored in the 8th inning, when three consecutive singles by Hall, Scioscia, and Mitchell scored one run, and Scioscia scored on a Lugo fielder's choice.
Every Kernel in the starting lineup scored at least one run Friday, and five hitters -Moesquit, Cowart, Scioscia, Mitchell, and Lugo - had multi-hit games. Hairgrove and Hall both had multi-RBI games with a pair of runs driven in to accent Cowart's 5-RBI performance.
The winning pitcher for Cedar Rapids was Michael Johnson (3-3) after he tossed 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, but struck out 3. Ty Kelley earned his 8th save of the season in a 4-out close that began in the bottom of the 8th inning. Will West (1-1) took the loss for the Timber Rattlers.
The Kernels now play on the road for the next six games. The team travels to Clinton tomorrow night for a 6:00 game in a commuter series against the LumberKings, the Midwest League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The two teams play Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. The Kernels take on Peoria at O'Brien Field next Wednesday through Friday and return home on Saturday, June 9th vs. Clinton.
Morgan Hawk brings you the action on the radio home of Kernels baseball, KMRY. Listen at 1450 AM or 93.1 FM, as well as www.kernels.com and www.kmryradio.com. Tickets are available online at www.kernels.com or by calling the Kernels box office at 896-7560. Ticket office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Midwest League Stories from June 1, 2012
- TinCaps Sweep Friday Doubleheader - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Kernels win slugfest over Wisconsin, 14-9 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Snappers Break Away Early to Down River Bandits - Quad Cities River Bandits
- LumberKings Split Doubleheader with Cougars - Clinton LumberKings
- Bees Can't Sweep, Lose 8-6 to Chiefs - Burlington Bees
- Hawks Pound out 16 Hits, Race Past Dragons - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Cedar Rapids Outlasts Rattlers - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Fall to South Bend 11-6 - Dayton Dragons
- Chiefs Hold on for 8-6 Friday Win - Peoria Chiefs
- Hot Rods Win Twice, Take Series from Lansing - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Hot Rods take two from Lugnuts - Lansing Lugnuts
- Cougars Split Pair in Clinton - Kane County Cougars
- Captains Snap Five Game Skid in 8-7 Win - Lake County Captains
- Former Indians Catcher Duke Sims Added to Cleveland Sports History Night - Lake County Captains
- Bandits Scholars Program Adds Second Scholarship - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Dragons Gameday for June 1 - Dayton Dragons
- Espinal Activated - Kane County Cougars
- Walsh Named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month - Quad Cities River Bandits
- TinCaps to Host Major League Baseball Tryout - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- TinCaps Announce Roster Moves - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Back Home June 6 Through June 11 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
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