Kernels thump Captains in series finale

(Cedar Rapids, IA) - The Cedar Rapids Kernels (17-8, 49-45) handed the Lake County Captains (12-13, 41-54) a decisive loss on Monday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Cedar Rapids slammed 16 hits, including eight doubles, to defeat Lake County, 10-4.
The Kernels got on the board early. In the second inning, Captains starter Francisco Perez walked Ben Rodriguez and then hit Jean Carlos Arias. Perez nearly escaped the frame unscathed. He got Andrew Bechtold to fly out to right and Rodriguez tagged up and went to third. Trey Cabbage then popped out to shortstop. With runners on the corners and two outs, however, David Banuelos swung at a high pitch and drove the ball off the base of the field wall. Both runners scored on the double to give Cedar Rapids a 2-0 lead.

Cedar Rapids tacked on three runs in the third. Perez hit Jose Miranda with one out and Rodriguez followed with a double to put men on second and third. Arias then singled home Miranda and, two batters later, Cabbage doubled in Rodriguez and Arias to push the Kernels' lead to 5-0.
The Captains made a call to the bullpen in the fourth and right-hander Felix Tati set the Kernels down in order. In the fifth, however, Cedar Rapids scored three more runs on five hits, including a pair of doubles. Miranda started the inning with a double and Rodriguez followed suit with a double that brought him home. Two batters later, Bechtold singled in Rodriguez. After Cabbage singled, Banuelos knocked in Bechtold with a single to give the Kernels an 8-0 lead.
Lake County got on the board thanks to one big swing in the sixth. Oscar Gonzalez reached with one out on an infield single and Nolan Jones worked a two-out walk. Elvis Perez came up with a pair aboard and cracked a three-run home run to right-centerfield. Perez's second homer with Lake County cut the Kernels' lead to 8-3.
Cedar Rapids got one back in the sixth. Akil Baddoo led off with a single and Miranda followed with a single to put men on first and second. Right-handed reliever Luis Jimenez got Rodriguez to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play, but Baddoo moved up to third and scored when Arias doubled to left.
The Kernels added one final run in the seventh against Maiker Manzanillo . Cabbage led off the inning with a double, but a great Captains relay retired Cabbage as he tried to push his luck. Cabbage roped a liner to right and tried to stretch his double into a triple, but Will Benson fired to Perez who threw a strike to Jones at third for the out. The Kernels restarted their rally, however. Banuelos singled and Ariel Montesino doubled to put runners on second and third. Jacob Pearson then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought home Banuelos from third to give the Kernels a 10-3 lead.
Jones delivered the Captains' final run of the afternoon. Leading off the ninth against righty reliever Jared Finkel, Jones lifted an opposite-field home run over the left field wall and onto the picnic porch. The solo shot trimmed the Kernels' lead to 10-4.
Kernels starter Randy Dobnak pitched seven strong innings to earn the win. Dobnak (7-2) allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Francisco Perez (7-6) took the loss. The lefty lasted only three innings and was responsible for five runs on four hits. Perez struck out four, walked two men and hit a pair of batters.
The Captains split their six-game road trip and lost two out of three in Cedar Rapids. Lake County returns home to begin a six-game homestand on Wednesday night. The Captains will play three games against the Clinton LumberKings and three against the Burlington Bees. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Classic Park.
Information about Classic Park or the Captains can be found online at www.captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-<st1:stockticker w:st="on">WINS (9467). Affordable ticket packages and group party and picnic options are available now.