PEORIA, ILL - Eduardo Tait, Jacob McCombs, Danny De Andrade and Jay Thomason all launched solo home runs as the Kernels combined for 10 runs on 11 hits Tuesday afternoon in a 10-5 win over Peoria.
Eduardo Tait did not waste time getting the offense started. In the top of the first inning, Tait crushed a solo home run to right to put Cedar Rapids in front 1-0.
Jacob McCombs followed suit in the second. With the bases empty and two away, McCombs blasted a ball down the right field line for a solo shot to double the lead to 2-0.
Peoria responded with a home run of its own. To begin the bottom of the second, Jeśus Báez lifted a solo homer to left to make it 2-1.
The Kernels grew some distance in the fourth. A Yasser Mercedes single and hit-by-pitches to Jaime Ferrer and McCombs loaded the bases. The next batter, Danny De Andrade, drove in a run with a single, and on the play, an error scored Ferrer to make it 4-1. With runners on the corners, De Andrade got in a rundown on a steal attempt, allowing McCombs to score to grow the lead to 5-1.
The Chiefs got a run back in the bottom of the inning. A walk and a single put two on for Luis Pino, who plated a run with an RBI double.
Cedar Rapids went back to the long ball in the seventh. With one out, De Andrade and Jay Thomason belted back-to-back home runs to extend the advantage to 7-2.
After four singles combined for a run for Peoria to bring the Chiefs within four at 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the Kernels put the game away in the eighth. A pair of singles by Tait and Ferrer put two on for Khadim Diaw, who doubled off the wall to score a run. After a balk plated Ferrer and moved Diaw to third, a Brandon Winokur RBI groundout put Cedar Rapids in double-figures up 10-3.
Tre Richardon connected on a solo homer and Josh Kross hit an RBI double for Peoria in the eighth, but the Chiefs would not get any closer in the 10-5 Cedar Rapids victory.
The win improves the Kernels to 22-18 on the season and to 4-6 against Peoria this year. The six-game series at Dozer Park continues on Wednesday at 6:35, Michael Ross gets the start opposite Ty Van Dyke.