Langenberg Dominates, Kernels Strike for Seven Runs in 7-1 Win Over Peoria

Peoria, IL - Ty Langenberg did not allow a run across six scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and the Kernels offense notched a series-high seven runs in a 7-1 win over Peoria Saturday night.

After not getting on the scoreboard in a 1-0 loss a night ago, the Kernels offense got on the board first on Saturday. To begin the top of the second, Kevin Maitan smashed a ground-rule double, and a batter later, he came home to score on a Nate Baez RBI single to put Cedar Rapids on top 1-0.

In the third, Peoria drew even. A pair of walks with two outs put a pair of runners on for Tre Richardson, who tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI double.

But that was the only run allowed by Kernels’ pitching on the night. Conor Prielipp made his third start back off the injured list and allowed just one run across 2.2 innings with five strikeouts compared to three walks. Behind him, after Rafael Marcano got the final out in the third, Ty Langenberg took Cedar Rapids the rest of the way, not allowing a run on just four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work in relief en route to his fourth win of the season.

With the Chiefs offense being shut down, the Kernels got back on top in the fifth. With two outs in the frame, Nick Lucky crushed his first high-A home run, a solo shot to left, to lift Cedar Rapids back ahead 2-1.

In the sixth inning, Cedar Rapids blew it open. A Gabriel Gonzalez walk and a Poncho Ruiz double opened the inning, and a batter later, they both came home to score on a Maitan two-run single. After Maitan moved to second on a walk, he scored on an error to increase the Kernels’ edge to 5-1.

In the eighth, singles by Maitan and Baez, followed by a Misael Urbina walk, loaded the bases for Lucky, who drove in his second run of the night with a walk to make it 6-1.

Up by five, Cedar Rapids tacked on one more in the ninth inning. Gonzalez walked to open the inning, and after a pair of wild pitches moved him to third, Maitan drove him in with a sac fly to make it a 7-1 game, the score that would be the final.

The win is the Kernels’ second of the series and it improves Cedar Rapids to 57-48 on the season and 20-21 in the second half. The Kernels go for a split of the series Sunday at 2:05 with John Klein on the mound, opposite Ixan Henderson.