Steer Steals Home in 2-1 Defeat at Quad Cities

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A straight steal of home plate by Spencer Steer led the Cedar Rapids Kernels to an early 1-0 edge Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park, but the Quad Cities River Bandits surged in front for a 2-1 victory. River Bandits relievers Drew Parrish and Jonah Dipoto combined for 7.1 innings of scoreless relief in the win.

Steer opened Wednesday’s scoring by stealing a run for the Kernels (5-3) in the top of the first. With two outs and the bases loaded, Steer broke for home plate while Asa Lacy was coming set. Steer scored without a throw for a 1-0 Cedar Rapids lead. It was the first straight steal of home by a Kernel since June 17, 2017 when Travis Blankenhorn turned the trick against the Clinton LumberKings.

Blayne Enlow faced the minimum over four frames before Quad Cities (5-2) pulled even during the fifth inning. Eric Cole lifted a two-out solo home run over the wall in the right-center field that forced a 1-1 tie. Enlow finished the night with a game-high seven strikeouts over five-plus innings pitched.

Quad Cities grabbed the 2-1 advantage within the bottom of the seventh. A bases-loaded wild pitch from Melvi Acosta (0-1) allowed Seuly Matias to come home with the decisive run.

Parrish (1-0) picked up the win while Dipoto received credit for the save. Parrish kept the Kernels scoreless for 5.1 innings and escaped a bases-loaded jam that he inherited from Lacy in the second. Dipoto tossed two shutout frames to end the contest with the potential game-tying and go-ahead runs stranded within the ninth.

Up next, Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities will continue this six-game series Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with Kernels left-hander Tyler Watson (0-0, 0.00) slated to pitch against River Bandits right-hander Nolan Watson (1-0, 7.36). Audio coverage of the Kernels will be on www.kernels.com.

After the series at Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids will host a 12-game homestand from May 18 through May 30. Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids Kernels home games by visiting www.kernels.com, going to the Kernels Ticket Office, or calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.