DAYTON, Ohio - Dayton erased a 6-0 deficit and a three-run ninth-inning deficit to come from behind and best the Kernels 14-13 in ten innings Tuesday night.
To begin the night, Yasser Mercedes got the offense going right away. To lead off the game, Mercedes blasted a home run to left to put the Kernels in front 1-0.
Cedar Rapids continued the power surge in the second. After two quick outs to begin the inning, Dameury Pena tripled to center and came all the way around to score on the play after an error to double the lead to 2-0. After the next batter, Henry Kusiak, worked a walk, Graham Brown lined a two-run homer to left to up the advantage to 4-0. Mercedes then took ball four before Eduardo Tait, who continued the pattern with a two-run shot to right to push the lead to 6-0.
The Dragons began the comeback effort in the bottom of the second. Singles from Tyson Lewis and Jacob Friend put two runners on base. After a balk moved them both into scoring position and an RBI groundout put Dayton on the board at 6-1. A single from the next batter, Victor Acosta, made it 6-2 before a second RBI hit in the inning, this one from Ryan McCrystal, cut the Cedar Rapids lead in half at 6-3.
Danny De Andrade responded in the top of the third. With one out, De Andrade launched a solo home run to right-center field to up the Kernels' advantage to 7-3.
But the Dragons kept coming. First in the fourth, a Mason Neville solo home run followed by a walk, double and RBI groundout made it a two-run game, 7-5. Then, in the fifth, a pair of singles put two on for Friend, who tied the game at 7-7 with a two-run double.
The Kernels punched back in the top of the sixth. A Miguel Briceno walk and a Pena single, followed by a wild pitch, put two in scoring position for Brown, who singled them both home to catapult Cedar Rapids back in front 9-7.
Dayton again had the response in the bottom of the inning. An Acosta double put a runner in scoring position for McCrystal, who singled home the run to bring it to a 9-8 game. Following a hit-by-pitch, an RBI groundout tied the game, and a Lewis RBI single put the Dragons ahead for the first time, 10-9.
This time, Cedar Rapids had the answer. In the top of the seventh. An Enrique Jimenez walk, a Jacob McCombs single, and an error on a fielder’s choice contributed to a run to tie the game again 10-10. After a wild pitch put both runners on base in scoring position, Briceno lined a two-run single to right to put the Kernels back ahead 12-10.
That’s when the rain came to Dayton and put the game into a delay. After an hour and 29-minute delay, Cedar Rapids added a run in the top of the ninth. With two outs, McCombs was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a passed ball, getting into scoring position for De Andrade, who made it 13-10 with an RBI single.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Dragons wouldn’t quit. Two walks opened the inning, and a catcher’s interference loaded the bases for Peyton Stovall, who plated a pair with a two-run single. The next batter, McCrystal, then tied the game at 13-13 with a sacrifice fly and sent it to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, Cedar Rapids was held scoreless. In the bottom half, the extra-inning rule runner Julio Carreras stole third with one out, moving 90 feet away from Friend, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left to walk off the game for Dayton, 14-13.
The loss drops Cedar Rapids to 37-52 and to 6-19 in the second half. The six-game series in Dayton continues Wednesday at 6:05. Cesar Lares starts for the Kernels opposite J.P. Ortiz.