CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Ramiro Dominguez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in his high-A debut Thursday night, but it was not enough in an 11-10 loss to Lake County.
The Captains opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Tommy Hawke walked to start the game, and a batter later scored from first on a Welbyn Francisca RBI double. After an Anthony Martinez single moved Francisca to third, he scored on a Juneiker Caceres RBI base hit to double the lead to 2-0.
Cedar Rapids responded right away. A Byron Chourio single and a Vahn Lackey walk, followed by a fielder’s choice, put two on for Danny De Andrade, who crushed a three-run home run to right to jump the Kernels in front 3-2.
Lake County regained the lead in the top of the third. A Francisca double and a Martinez single put two on for Caceres, who tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI base hit. Two batters later, the Captains took a 4-3 lead on a fielder’s choice before a José Pirela three-run home run capped off the five-run inning and extended the lead to 7-3.
In the top of the fourth, the Captains added one more. A Hawke walk and a Francisca single put two on for Martinez, who grew the advantage to 8-3 with an RBI base hit.
The Kernels began to rally back in the top of the fifth. Andy Lugo walked to begin the inning in front of Ramiro Dominguez, who blasted his first high-A home run in his first high-A game, a two-run shot to cut the deficit to 8-5.
Dominguez struck again in the bottom of the sixth. Walks from JP Smith II and De Andrade, followed by an Irvin Nunez hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases for the second baseman, who crushed a grand slam to left to put the Kernels back ahead 9-8.
Cedar Rapids got a run of insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Lackey walked and moved to second on a passed ball in front of De Andrade, who ripped an RBI single to push the lead to 10-8.
In the top of the eighth, the Captains fired back with a big swing of their own. A pair of walks put two on for Martinez, who launched a three-run home run to right to put Lake County back in front 11-10.
That would prove to be the game-winning swing. The Lake County bullpen blanked the Kernels across the final two innings and hung on for their third consecutive one-run win in the series, 11-10.
The loss drops the Kernels to 45-76 on the season. The final home series of the season continues Friday at 6:35. Justin Mitrovich gets the start for Cedar Rapids opposite Jacob Zibin.