Kernels and Sky Carp Split Thursday Night Doubleheader

Cedar Rapids, IA - After Cedar Rapids won game one of the doubleheader 4-2 Thursday night, Beloit came back to win game two 8-1, splitting the Thursday night twin bill.

In the bottom of the first inning of game one, Cedar Rapids scored first. Luke Keaschall walked to begin the inning, and after he stole second, he came home to score on a Ricardo Olivar RBI double to lift Cedar Rapids ahead 1-0.

In the top of the third, Beloit got on the board for the first time. To lead off the frame, Chase Luttrell lifted a solo home run out to left to tie the game at 1-1.

But that run would be the only one Kernels starter Zebby Matthews allowed on the night. Matthews continued his great start to the season on the mound, going 5.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks, earning his third win in as many starts.

In the bottom of the fourth, Cedar Rapids grabbed the lead it would never lose. Rubel Cespedes singled to begin the inning and Danny De Andrade walked to put two on. After a wild pitch moved the pair into scoring position, Cespedes scored on a Jay Harry RBI groundout to put the Kernels on top 2-1.

In the fifth, Keaschall doubled with two outs to extend the inning to Gabriel Gonzalez who crushed his first home run with the Kernels, a two-run shot to left to extend the advantage to 4-1.

Beloit scored a run in the top of the seventh, but it was too little, too late, in Cedar Rapids' 4-2 game-one win.

In game two, Beloit jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a four-run second inning.

The Sky Carp added another run in the third on a Jorge Caballero solo home run to extend the lead to 5-0.

Beloit scored three more times in the fifth inning, bringing its advantage to 8-0, its largest of the game.

In the sixth inning, Dillion Tatum blasted his first high-A home run with a solo shot to left to get the Kernels on the board at 8-1, the score which would be the final.

Game five of the seven-game series is set for tomorrow night at 6:35, C.J. Culpepper gets the start for Cedar Rapids opposite Karson Milbrandt.