Cedar Rapids Pulverizes Peoria, 10-2

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The trio of Alex Isola, Seth Gray, and Jair Camargo led the offensive onslaught Tuesday in a 10-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels victory versus the Peoria Chiefs at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Ben Gross chipped in with his latest winning performance on the mound as Cedar Rapids improved to 29-26 overall.

The Chiefs (22-33) grabbed a brief 1-0 lead in the first inning before the Kernels pulled even during the home half of the frame. Peoria’s Brady Whalen plated Jordan Walker with an RBI single. Edouard Julien scored for Cedar Rapids via wild pitch.

Isola’s go-ahead home run during the second broke the 1-1 tie. His three-run blast to left-center field lifted the Kernels to a 4-1 advantage. Isola ended the game by going 3-of-5 and coming up a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

Peoria closed the gap to 4-2 on a third-inning RBI groundout by Pedro Pages, but Camargo answered for Cedar Rapids within the fifth. He crushed a three-run shot to right-center field and stretched the lead to 7-2.

Gray and Camargo combined to drive in three runs in the sixth to set the edge at 10-2 Kernels. Gray hit a two-out single, which was his career-high-tying third hit of the game, and Camargo added an RBI double and finished with a season-best four runs batted in.

Gross (3-0) yielded just two runs over five innings pitched and won for a third consecutive home start. Gross, Ryan Shreve, and Owen Griffith collectively held the Chiefs to one hit over the last 22 total batters to close the series opener.

Connor Lunn (3-4) tallied a game-high eight strikeouts but also allowed six runs in 4.2 innings of work and was tagged for the loss.

Coming up, Cedar Rapids and Peoria will square off Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m., and Kernels right-hander Cody Laweryson (0-1, 5.40) is tabbed to face Chiefs right-hander Wilfredo Pereira (1-4, 4.78). Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will call the contest on www.kernels.com and MiLB.TV.

The Kernels will transform into “las Cinco Estaciones de Cedar Rapids” for Wednesday’s game as a participant in Minor League Baseball’s “Copa de la Diversión” initiative that recognizes and celebrates Hispanic culture.

Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids Kernels home games by visiting www.kernels.com, going to the Kernels Ticket Office, or calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.