Sports stats



MWL1 Cedar Rapids Kernels

Snappers send Kernels home with loss

May 26, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


Despite a pair of home runs by Drew Toussaint, the Beloit Snappers handed the Kernels an 8-6 loss Thursday afternoon at Pohlman Field in front of 799 fans in the final game of a four game series.

Cedar Rapids took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning before four straight walks opened the door for a five run Beloit seventh.

Lefty reliever Nic Touchstone took the loss for the Kernels after walking the only two batters he faced in the seventh. Miguel Gonzalez entered the game at that point and surrendered a grand slam to the first batter he faced, Beloit's Paul Rutgers.

Prior to the start of the seventh the Kernels looked like they had a solid shot to split the four-game series with the Snappers. Toussaint launched his first home run, a two-run shot, in the first inning and the Kernels added a single run in the fourth and two in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.

After the Snappers tied the game with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first both offenses fell silent until Chris Walston was able to plate Michael Collins with a line drive single to left. Two innings later an Aaron Peel single and a double by Toussaint set the table for a pair of RBI ground outs by Collins and Warner Madrigal.

Following the lead change in the seventh each team added a single run in the eighth. Cedar Rapids got its on a fly ball to center off the bat of Toussaint that cleared the plywood wall of Pohlman Field. Center field in Beloit is just 380 feet from home plate but Toussaint's third long ball of the year had plenty of distance behind it.

Starter Fernando Rodriguez was effective for the Kernels before growing tired in the pivotal seventh inning. He allowed just seven hits over six innings and had three strike outs before being lifted for Toucstone. Thursday was Rodriguez's first full start in over a week. His last start lasted only two innings on May 21 before a weather delay forced Kernel manager Bobby Magallanes to protect his starter's arm and go to the pen following the hour-plust layoff.

Thursday's game was originally supposed to be played at 6:30 p.m. but was moved to 11 a.m. in order to make up for a children's day that was rained out earlier in the season. The early start time gave the Kernels a jump on hitting the road for home. Cedar Rapids returns to Veterans Memorial Stadium to open an eight-game home stand Friday night against South Bend. Game time is 6:30 p.m. and gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Check out the Cedar Rapids Kernels Statistics



Midwest League Stories from May 26, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central