DAYTON, Ohio - Cedar Rapids opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, but the Dragons scored two in the bottom half and led the rest of the way in an 8-2 victory over the Kernels Saturday night.
With two outs in Cedar Rapids half of the first, Eduardo Tait smashed a triple, his first of the season, and a batter later, scored on a Danny De Andrade RBI single to put the Kernels in front 1-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Dayton responded. Peyton Stovall walked to begin the frame and scored a batter later on a Julio Carreras RBI double to tie the game 1-1. Two batters later, a John Michael Faile RBI single plated Stovall to put the Dragons ahead 2-1.
They added to the lead in the fourth. To start the inning, Tyson Lewis smashed his second home run in as many nights to extend the advantage to 3-1. Later in the frame, a walk, error and fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, and Dayton made the lead 4-1 by pulling off a double steal of second and home.
The Dragons added another run in the fifth. A two-out walk put a runner aboard for Lewis, who lined an RBI double to left to grow the advantage to 5-1.
Cedar Rapids got a run back in the top of the sixth. A Jose Salas walk and a Quinn McDaniel hit put two on for Jacob McCombs, who singled to drive in a run and cut the deficit to 5-2.
But that would be the closest the Kernels would get. A pair of singles put two on for the Dragons in the bottom of the seventh, and a Jacob Friend three-run home run grew the Dayton advantage to 8-2, the score that would be the final.
The Kernels fall to 37-56 with the loss and to 6-23 in the second half. The series in Dayton concludes Sunday at 12:05. Justin Mitrovich gets the start for Cedar Rapids opposite Ty Floyd.