Kernels Score Four Unanswered, Knock Off Lake County 5-2

Eastlake, OH - After falling behind 2-1 in the first inning, the Kernels scored the game’s final four runs as Cedar Rapids topped Lake County for the second straight night, 5-2.

After opening a 7-0 lead in the win on Wednesday, the Kernels again jumped on top first on Thursday. With one out in the top of the first frame, Walker Jenkins smashed a solo home run to right, his second homer of the series to put Cedar Rapids on top first, 1-0.

But it didn’t take long for the Captains to respond. Travis Bazzana doubled to lead off the bottom of the first inning, and after a groundout moved him to third, he scored on an Alex Mooney RBI base hit to tie the game at 1-1. After Mooney stole second, a groundball also advanced him to third, and he came home to score on a Jose Devers single to lift Lake County ahead 2-1.

But that would be the extent of the Captains’ scoring on the night. After John Klein allowed the two runs in the first frame, he settled in, posting three straight scoreless innings to cap off his evening. Behind him, Jordan Carr earned the win, not allowing a run in his one inning of relief before Spencer Bengard went the rest of the way with four shutout innings, noticing a 12-out save.

With the CR staff locking things down on defense, the Kernels offense tied it in the third. To lead off the inning, Kyle Hess smashed a solo home run, his first in high-A, to even the contest at 2-2.

With the game still tied in the fourth, Rixon Wingrove reached on a two-base error and scored a batter later on a second Lake County error to put the Kernels back ahead at 3-2.

That stayed the score until the eighth when the Kernels were again helped out by the Captains’ defense. Kaelen Culpepper opened the inning, moving all the way to third on a throwing error. Two batters later, he came home to score on a Rubel Cespedes RBI groundout to double the Cedar Rapids lead to 4-2.

In the ninth, walks by Wingrove and Misael Urbina opened the inning, and after a Kyle Hess single loaded the bases, Nick Lucky put the game away with an RBI groundout, increasing the Kernels' lead to 5-2 that score that would be the final.

The win improves Cedar Rapids to 3-6 on the road trip, 64-57 on the season and 27-30 in the second half. Game three in the series in Lake County is set for Friday at 6:00 with Jeremy Lee on the mound opposite Alonzo Richardson.