Mitchell's Two Three-Run Home Runs Power River Bandits Past Kernels, 11-6
Published on May 29, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Blake Mitchell crushed a pair of three-run home runs, finishing the night with seven RBI to lift Quad Cities to an 11-6 win over Cedar Rapids Thursday night.
The River Bandits began their big night at the plate right away. Nolan Sailors tripled to start the top of the first inning, and after an Asbel Gonzalez walk, two were on for Blake Mitchell, who belted a three-run home run to put Quad Cities on top out of the gates, 3-0.
The Kernels countered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Marek Houston singled to start the frame and moved into scoring position on an Eduardo Tait walk. The next batter, Brandon Winokur, then singled into center, scoring Houston to make it 3-1.
Quad Cities got that run back in the second. With two outs, back-to-back doubles from Angel Acosta and Sailors combined to plate a run to make it 4-1 River Bandits.
Cedar Rapids chipped away to get within one. First, in the third, a Winokur double and a Khadim Diaw single put runners on the corners for Yasser Mercedes, who cut it to 4-2 with a sacrifice fly. Then, in the fourth, A Rayne Doncon double and a Danny De Andrade single put runners on first and third for Tait, who lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3.
But that was the closest the Kernels would get. The River Bandits opened it up with six runs in the sixth inning, capped off by Mitchell's second there-run home run of the night to put Quad Cities in front by their largest margin of the game, 10-3.
The Kernels fought back in the sixth inning. Jay Thomason singled to open the frame and after he stole second, he scored three batters later on a Houston RBI single. Houston then stole second, moving into scoring position for Tait, who lined a single to right to lessen the deficit to 10-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, Quinn McDaniel walked, stole second, stole third and scored on a Houston bases-loaded walk after free passes to Thomason and De Andrade filled the bases. With the bases loaded in now a 10-6 game, Cedar Rapids sent the game-tying run to the plate, but Quad Cities' Max Martin got a strikeout to get out of the jam and end the Kernels last best comeback threat of the night.
The River Bandits added a run in the top of the eighth on Mitchell's seventh RBI of the game, a sacrifice fly to up the Quad Cities edge to 11-6, the score that would be the final.
The loss drops the Kernels to 24-25 on the season, and to 1-3 in the series with Quad Cities. Game five of the set is slated for Saturday at 6:35, Riley Quick gets the start for Cedar Rapids, opposite David Shields.
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