Del Rosario Tames Timber Rattlers for 4-2 Win

GRAND CHUTE, WIS. - Right-hander Eduardo Del Rosario tossed a career-high eight innings Saturday and earned a quality start and a victory in a 4-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels triumph against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Kernels (25-17) grabbed a 2-1 series lead against Wisconsin (19-20) with the win.
Del Rosario (3-2) tallied eight strikeouts in eight innings of work while allowing just two runs. His previous career high for innings pitched came in his last victory April 25 when he fired seven shutout innings versus the Burlington Bees. Del Rosario kept the Timber Rattlers scoreless over his first seven frames Saturday.

Ben Rortvedt, a native of Verona, Wisconsin, pushed Cedar Rapids to a 1-0 edge in the fifth inning. Jaylin Davis led off with a single and was sacrificed to second base by Ariel Montesino. Two batters later, Rortvedt's RBI double brought in Davis for the go-ahead run. That was the only run allowed in five innings pitched by David Burkhalter (0-1), but he took the loss despite a good outing.
The Kernels increased their lead to 4-0 during the top of the seventh. Montesino doubled and later scored on a throwing error. Rortvedt added another run by scoring on a wild pitch. Near the end of the inning, Christian Cavaness produced an RBI single that drove in Aaron Whitefield.
Wisconsin finally scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. Nathan Rodriguez recorded a one-out double, and Gilbert Lara followed with a single. After a strikeout by Joantgel Segovia, Demi Orimoloye hit a two-run double that cut the Timber Rattlers' deficit to 4-2.
Tom Hackimer secured the Kernels' 4-2 victory with a perfect ninth inning. It was Hackimer's team-high sixth save of the season and his fourth save in his last four chances over his past four appearances.
Cedar Rapids and Wisconsin wrap up this four-game series at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. The scheduled starting pitchers are Kernels right-hander Tyler Beardsley (3-2, 4.37) and Timber Rattlers right-hander Zack Brown (0-2, 7.88). Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will call the action on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and also online at www.kmryradio.com and www.kernels.com.
The next Kernels homestand features four home games and runs from Monday, May 22 through Thursday, May 25. Fans can purchase tickets for all 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 Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.