Bees Fall Hard in Series Opener

(Cedar Rapids, IA) - The Burlington Bees (58-76) scored first on Wednesday but gave up the next 11 runs in an 11-1 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (73-62) at Perfect Game Field. 

The Bees came into Wednesday night's game winning seven of their last eight games and would get off to a good start. Burlington opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. With one out, Jonah Todd drew a walk and then moved to second on Richie Fecteau single. Brandon Sandoval then gave the Bees the lead with a single to left, scoring Todd, putting the Bees on top, 1-0.
Cedar Rapids responded with a big bottom of the first inning. It all started with a Royce Lewis infield single, who then came home to score on a Travis Blankenhorn single, tying the game at one. With the bases loaded with one out, Trey Cabbage hit a three-run double, extending the lead to 4-1 in the first inning. The Kernels weren't done, scoring again on a Shane Kennedy double and another run on a Ben Rortvedt single. The seven-run inning was capped off by Blankenhorn who would drive in the final run of the inning with a groundout, making it a 7-1 lead for the Kernels.
Cedar Rapids added to their lead in the fourth thanks to a two-run home run from Blankenhorn and then added two more in the ninth inning thanks to another Blankenhorn groundout and a Caleb Hamilton run scoring double, upping the Kernels' lead to 11-1. 
Kernels' starting pitcher Tyler Watson (1-3) earned the win while Andrew Vinson (9-10) was charged with the loss for the Bees. The Bees and Kernels will continue the series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Luis Madero makes the start for the Bees against Tyler Wells for Cedar Rapids.