CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Kernels cut a seven-run Lake County lead down to one in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t plate the game-tying run in an 8-7 loss to the Captains Wednesday afternoon.
After homering in his high-A debut on Tuesday, Vahn Lackey struck again to start Wednesday. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Lackey lifted a solo home run to right to put the Kernels in front 1-0.
Lake County responded in the third. A pair of walks put two on with two out for Welbyn Francisca, who lined an RBI single to center to tie the game, 1-1.
The Captains blew it open in the top of the fourth. After two quick outs to start the inning, a José Pirela double put a runner on for Garrett Howe, who jumped Lake County ahead 2-1 with an RBI single. A walk put a pair of runners on for Tommy Hawke, who doubled the lead to 3-1 with an RBI double. The next batter, Dauri Fernandez, scored two more with another RBI double before Francisca capped off the six-run inning with a two-run home run to make it 7-1.
In the top of the fifth, Lake County wasn’t done. To lead off the inning, Cannon Peebles crushed a home run to right to push the advantage to 8-1.
That stayed the score until the bottom of the seventh. With one out in the inning**, Danny De Andrade** launched a solo home run to right to trim the deficit to 8-2. Two batters later, Jose Salas followed suit with a solo shot to right to make it 8-3. The next batter, Irvin Nunez, singled, moved to second on an error and scored on a Lackey RBI single to get within four, 8-4.
In the eighth, Cedar Rapids continued to chip away. A JP Smith II hit-by-pitch followed by walks to De Andrade and Jayson Bass loaded the bases for Salas, who plated a run with a fielder’s choice. The next batter, Nunez, ripped an RBI single to left to make it an 8-6 game.
In the bottom of the ninth, the game came to a head. Walks to Lackey and Eduardo Tait to start the inning, followed by an error, loaded the bases with no one out. The next batter, Yasser Mercedes, walked to force in a run to make it 8-7 with the bases still loaded and no outs. But Lake County’s Zane Petty locked it down. The right-hander got the final three outs and did not allow another run, fending off the Cedar Rapids comeback effort to secure the 8-7 victory.
The loss drops Cedar Rapids to 45-75 on the season. The Kernels continue the series with the Captains Thursday at 6:35. Merit Jones gets the start on the mound opposite a Lake County starter TBD.