Loons Shutout Kernels 6-0, Win Third Straight

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (30-25) had their second shutout win of 2024, blanking the Cedar Rapids Kernels (31-23) 6-0 on a 69-degree mostly cloudy Friday night at Dow Diamond.

Great Lakes, pitching for the fourth straight game, racked up 10-plus strikeouts with 13. Christian Romero set the table, he struck out a season-high six batters, including the side in the first. The right-hander permitted just three hits, ending both the third and fourth with a groundball double play.

The Loons had a three-single third inning, netting a run. Noah Miller rifled one up the middle got aboard, and then stole second. With two outs, Kyle Nevin roped a ball into right field that plated Miller and put the Loons ahead.

After the exit of Jeremy Lee, Cedar Rapids reliever Jacob Wosinski walked three straight to open the fifth inning. Sam Mongelli, with the bases loaded, muscled a ball up the left-field line to score two. Mongelli is 4-for-4 with the bases loaded with seven RBI, the best on the Loons in those spots.

A RBI single from Nick Biddison and a fielder’s choice made it 5-0 after five. Biddison has five RBI in the series.

Great Lakes bullpen shut the door, with a scoreless frame from Brandon Neeck in the fifth. Then, Jose Rodriguez in his Dow Diamond debut, had it all working. The right-hander struck out five across three clean frames.

The Loons tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. A Noah Miller RBI single, his 14th multi-hit game. In the ninth, Great Lakes turned to Franklin De La Paz, who went 1-2-3 on 3-4-5 in the Kernels lineup.

Rounding Things Out

Jake Gelof stole three bases, the second Loons to do that in a game this season.

Up Next

Loons and Kernels square off tomorrow Saturday, June 8th. The first pitch is at 7:05 pm. It is Bluey at the Ballpark presented by MyMichigan Health. A Fireworks Loontacular will light up the night sky post game brought to you by Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan.

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.