Kernels Comeback Falls Short, Dayton Walks-Off Cedar Rapids 5-4

Dayton, OH - With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Hector Rodriguez delivered a walk-off single, plating Carter Graham as the Dragons grabbed their third straight win over the Kernels, 5-4.

After Cedar Rapids scored early on Wednesday, it was Dayton that flipped the script and jumped on top early on Thursday with four single runs across four straight innings. Starting in the bottom of the second, Cam Collier singled to open the frame and three batters later, he came home to score all the way from first on a Cade Hunter single to lift the Dragons on top 1-0.

In the third, Jay Allen collected a lead-off single. After a groundout moved him to second, he scored on a Collier base hit to make it 2-0.

Up 2-0, a pair of solo home runs by Carter Graham in the fourth and Ethan O’Donnell in the fifth lifted Dayton on top 4-0.

In the top of the sixth, Cedar Rapids started a comeback effort. A Misael Urbina walk, and an Agustin Ruiz single with an error put two in scoring position. Three batters later, Walker Jenkins drove them both home with a single to cut the Dayton lead in half 4-2.

In the eighth, the Kernels rallied to tie it. Hits by Kaelen Culpepper and Jenkins opened the inning, and a batter later, Gabriel Gonzalez tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run double.

The score stayed tied until the bottom of the ninth. To begin the inning, Graham worked a walk. After a bunt moved him to the second, a wild pitch moved him to third as the game-winning run with one out for Hector Rodriguez, who singled through the left side, plating Graham to walk off the Kernels and win it for Dayton 5-4.

The loss is the Kernels third straight to begin the series in Dayton and drops Cedar Rapids to 61-54 on the season and 24-27 in the second half. Game four of the set with the Dragons is set for Friday at 7:05 with John Klein on the mound opposite Jose Franco.