Kernels Score Five in Eighth Inning, Win 9-6

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (31-26) were outslugged by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (32-24) 9-6 on a 69-degree cloudy Sunday afternoon at Dow Diamond. The Loons won the series four games to two.

Great Lakes was hot out of the gates, putting three on the board before Cedar Rapids recorded an out. Noah Miller and Kyle Nevin hit back-to-back singles. It set up Sam Mongelli, who entered the game with seven RBI in the series and added three more. He belted a ball 358 feet to left field.

Jacob Meador went five innings for the first time in his affiliated ball career. The right-hander struck out six, with just two runs off three hits. Two left the yard.

After five, Great Lakes led 4-2. Chris Newell changed that with a missile off the right-field foul pole. Newell hit his third of the series, 18th of the season, and now leads Minor League Baseball.

Cedar Rapids had a three-hit seventh inning producing a run, and Great Lakes responded with a Sam Mongelli RBI single.

Up 6-3, Chris Campos entered a third inning of work but allowed two singles and a walk. Kelvin Ramirez inherited bases loaded, with all three scoring. Rayne Doncon delivered a two-run single and Jose Salas had an RBI base knock. They were both plated by a Nate Baez two-run double. Baez had a three-hit and four RBI performance.

After the Kernels added an insurance run in the ninth, the Loons trailed by three. Nelson Quiroz led off with a single, but 1-3 in the order could not replicate their first-inning output. Mike Parades earned his first save, getting six outs.

Rounding Things Out

Great Lakes fell one strikeout, and one stole base short of a six-game series record. The Loons had 80 strikeouts from their pitchers and 16 stolen bases this week.

Up Next

The Loons begin a six-game series against the Dayton Dragons at Day Air Ballpark in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday, June 11th. First pitch on Tuesday is 7:05 pm.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.