Olivar’s Five RBIs Pushes Kernels Past Sky Carp 7-3

Cedar Rapids, IA - Ricardo Olivar posted a pair of bases-loaded doubles, collecting five RBI on the day, helping propel the Kernels to a series finale win over Beloit 7-3.

For the fifth time in the six-game series, the Kernels got on the board first. In the bottom of the second, a hit-by-pitch and a Misael Urbina single put a pair of two-out base runners on for Jose Salas, who got the Kernels on the board with an RBI single. The next batter, Payton Eeles, then walked to load the bases for Ricardo Olivar, who cleared the bags with a wall-ball double to extend the Cedar Rapids lead to 4-0.

That stayed the score until the top of the fourth when Beloit got on the board for the first time. A walk and a double put two runners in scoring position for Tony Bullard, who plated the first Sky Carp run with an RBI single.

In the fifth, back-to-back solo home runs by Johnny Olmstead and Josh Zamora brought Beloit within a run at 4-3.

But that was the last time Beloit scored. Kernels’ starter Christian MacLeod got the win, allowing three runs across five innings while picking up six strikeouts. Behind him, the Kernels’ bullpen posted its fourth consecutive scoreless outing. Jarett Whorff allowed just one hit while striking out four across three scoreless innings. Behind him, A.J. Labas pitched a scoreless ninth frame to lock down the Kernels win.

With the pitching staff posting zeros, the Kernels grew the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. An Agustin Ruiz walk, a Salas single and an Eeles walk loaded the bases with one out from Olivar, who drove in two more with a double to extend the lead back up to three at 6-3.

In the eighth, Urbina led off the inning with a single, and after a Salas walk moved him into scoring position, he scored on a Rayne Doncon RBI single to bring the Cedar Rapids edge to 7-3, the score which would be the final.

The win is the Kernels' fifth straight and improves Cedar Rapids to 7-2 in the second half and 44-29 on the year. The Kernels next open up a Fourth of July Week home and home with Quad Cities on the road Monday at 6:30.