Wisconsin Tops Kernels in Series Rubber Match 5-3

Cedar Rapids, IA - Trailing by a run in the sixth inning, Wisconsin rallied to score three times to top Cedar Rapids in the series finale 5-3.

After the Kernels' comeback effort came up short in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday, Cedar Rapids got on the board first Sunday. With two outs in the bottom of the third, Rubel Cespedes crushed a solo home run to right to put the Kernels on top 1-0.

Wisconsin got that run right back in the top of the fourth. With one out, Luke Adams was hit by a pitch, and after he moved to second on a groundout, he scored on an Eduardo Garcia double to tie the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cespedes struck again. Again, with two outs in the frame, Cespedes smashed a solo home run to give the Kernels the lead back at 2-1.

But that would be the last Kernels lead. In the top of the sixth inning, Luis Lara singled to begin the frame and moved to second on a passed ball. The next batter, Jadher Areinamo, singled to tie the game at 2-2. After Adams was hit by another pitch, two were on for Eduardo Garcia, who reached on an error that plated both runners to give the Timber Rattlers a 4-2 lead.

The Kernels got a run back on a Cespedes hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, but a Ramon Rodriguez solo home run in the top of the ninth re-upped the Wisconsin lead to two runs at 5-3, the score that would be the final.

The win clinches the Timber Rattlers a 2-1 series win over the Kernels who drop to 51-37 on the season and 14-10 in the second half. Cedar Rapids hits the road on Tuesday to open up a six-game series with Quad Cities at 6:30, both starters for game one are TBD.