Ten-Run Inning Keys Kernels Win Over Wisconsin

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels completed a four-game sweep of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 14-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Perfect Game Field. Jose Miranda drove in five runs and Jacob Pearson had four hits to pace the Kernels to the big win.
Wisconsin starting pitcher Carlos Herrera kept the Kernels (36-37 overall, 4-0 second half) in check through the first three innings. He kept them off the scoreboard and had allowed one hit.

Then, the fourth inning began with a fly ball to right off the bat of Jacob Pearson that was misplayed into a triple by Rob Henry. Herrera got the first out with a strikeout, but Miranda put the Kernels up 1-0 with a hot shot through the drawn-in infield for an RBI single. Robby Rinn was next and he doubled to the gap in left-center to chase Miranda home for a 2-0 lead. Herrera retired the next batter with another strikeout and it appeared the damage in the inning would be minimal. The appearance was deceiving.

Andrew Bechtold was next and he hit a two-run home run to left on a 2-2 pitch and the Kernels were up 4-0.

Then, Robert Molina singled to knock Herrera out of the game. Reliever Jose Cuas took over and walked the first two batters he faced the load the bases. That brought Pearson back to the plate for the second time in the inning. Pearson singled to drive in two runs for a 6-0 lead. Jean Carlos Arias was next and he beat out an infield single to reload the bases. Miranda cleared the bases with a double to left-center and the lead expanded to 9-0. Rinn made it 10-0 with an RBI single.

Wisconsin (31-42, 0-4) got on the board in the sixth inning on a two-out RBI double by Tristen Lutz. The hit allowed Lutz to extend his hitting to eight games and kept the Rattlers from being shutout.

The Timber Rattlers had four hits in the game, but had plenty of base runners. Kernels pitchers walked seven and hit two. Plus, there was an error that gave Wisconsin another free runner. But, the Timber Rattlers stranded eleven runners and were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Cedar Rapids added to their lead with two runs in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh. Pearson homered to lead-off the sixth and Miranda knocked in his fifth run of the game with a grounder later in the inning. Jordan Gore capped the scoring in the game with a two-run home run in the seventh.

The loss was the tenth straight for the Rattlers. Wisconsin lost the final six games of the first half before being swept by the Kernels in this four-game series at Perfect Game Field to open the second half of the season. This is the second ten-game losing streak of the season for the Rattlers.
Wisconsin will continue its road trip on Monday with the first game of a three-game series against the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. The Timber Rattlers will send Bowden Francis (3-4, 4.92) to the mound as their starting pitcher. The River Bandits have named Parker Mushinski (3-1, 2.90) as their starter. Game time at Modern Woodmen Park is 6:35pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game over the internet.