Adames and Floyd Hold Kernels Hitless in Game One

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Freisis Adames and Taylor Floyd combined to hold the Cedar Rapids Kernels to no hits over the seven-inning first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Perfect Game Field. Adames went five innings and Floyd tossed the last two innings to close out the 9-1 victory.

The Kernels (9-13) took advantage of two walks and some soft contact to score a run in the bottom of the fourth inning without a hit. Adames walked the first two batters in the inning. He got Wander Javier to send a slow roller back to the mound and Adames’s only play was to first base. Jair Camargo drove in the run with a slow chopper over the mound. Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle was playing in on the grass, but he had to range well to his right to field the ball and his only play was to first base for the sure out.

Wisconsin (11-11) responded in the top of the fifth. Kekai Rios and Chad McClanahan started the rally on back-to-back singles with one out. A wild pitch moved pinch-runner Jesús Lujano and McClanahan into scoring position. David Hamilton cashed in both runners with a triple to the corner in right field. It was Hamilton’s fourth triple of the season.

Korry Howell followed with a single to right-center too drive in Hamilton for a 3-1 lead.

Adames walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the fifth inning, but retired the next three batters to maintain the lead and keep the Kernels hitless.

The Timber Rattlers offense added five runs in the top of the sixth inning. Hamilton knocked in the first two runs of the frame with a single to right with the bases loaded. Howell followed that with a two-run double off the wall in left. Je’Von Ward moved his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single to get Howell home and the Rattlers were up 8-1.

Hamilton ended the game with four RBI and two runs scored while Howell knocked in three runs for the Wisconsin offense.

Taylor Floyd took over for Adames to start the bottom of the sixth. Adames hit a batter, walked three, allowed a run, and struck out one in his five innings.

Floyd retired the Kernels in order in the sixth on a strikeout and two grounders. The second groundout was a weakly hit ball to third by Wander Javier. Yeison Coca charged, fielded the ball cleanly, and his throw to first beat Javier by a half step. Floyd closed out the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

The no-hitter was the first by the Timber Rattlers since May 4, 2012 when Chad Thompson and Mark Williams combined on a nine-inning no-hitter at Clinton.

Wisconsin had had five no-hitters since 1995 and three of them have been at Cedar Rapids. Derrick Van Dusen tossed a nine-inning no-no against the Kernels at old Veterans Memorial Stadium on August 27, 2001. Jake Odorizzi and Adrian Rosario pitched a combined no-hitter in Cedar Rapids on August 24, 2010.