Kernels Win Midwest League Championship 7-6 over Loons

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Great Lakes Loons (76-55) (3-3) fell one-run short to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (82-50) (4-2) 7-6 in a seven-inning winner-takes-all game three in the Midwest League Championship Series on a 70-degree Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Great Lakes pushed the series to a third game with a 4-2 game two victory. Seven runners were left on base by the Kernels in the final three innings. Benony Robles registered the final three outs. The game was started on Tuesday and finished earlier today.

Game three was set for seven innings to determine a champion. Both teams won game three in their respective divisional series.

Maddux Bruns started for the Loons, and the Kernels put runners on the corners with two singles in the first. Andrew Cossetti plated Noah Miller with a sacrifice fly to left field. Cedar Rapids loaded the bases on three walks in the second, pushing Bruns out of the game

With one out, Emmanuel Rodriguez stepped in, and Jared Karros entered. The 20-year-old torched a 2-1 pitch 414 feet over the right-field fence. The grand slam was the third home run for Rodriguez in the series.

Dalton Rushing was the lone man to reach in the first two innings for the Loons, with a six-pitch walk. The Loons offense chipped into the deficit starting in the fourth. Rushing reached on a base on balls for the second time. Then with two outs, Alex Freeland laced a single into right field to make it 5-1.

Great Lakes pulled within one, tallying three in the fifth inning. All three came with two outs in the inning. Jake Vogel reached on a fielder’s choice moving to second base on a throwing error. Three straight hits followed. Taylor Young scored Vogel on a single to left field. Yeiner Fernandez next-up sliced a ball into right-center putting two on the corners. The hit ended Cory Lewis’ day.

Cedar Rapids brought in left-hander Gabriel Yanez to face Dalton Rushing. Rushing roped a 1-1 pitch into right field for a double. It was mishandled in right field permitting Fernandez to score from first.

The Kernels added insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. A third walk in the frame scored one, the other on a Noah Cardenas sacrifice fly to left field.

The Loons trailed 7-4 with six outs to go. Kenneth Betancourt doubled with two outs but was left aboard in the sixth. In the seventh, Yeiner Fernandez reached on fielder’s choice that was out number two. Dalton Rushing had one more big swing left in him. The Dodgers No. 1 prospect rammed a 0-1 pitch 405 feet, and a two-run homer bringing the score to 7-6. Rushing has three postseason home runs, the most in Great Lakes history.

John Stankiewicz secured the championship winning out, forcing a flyball to center to give the Kernels their first title since 1994 and fourth all-time.

The 2024 Great Lakes Loons season begins on Friday, April 5th, the 17th year of baseball in Midland, Michigan.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-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 ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.