CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Irvin Nunez posted four hits and the Kernels got solo home runs from Yasser Mercedes and Danny De Andrade Sunday afternoon to close Veterans Memorial Stadium for 2026 with a 5-2 win over Lake County.
In a game that began with a two-hour and forty-five-minute rain delay, Dauri Fernandez doubled for Lake County on the first pitch. Three batters later, he scored on a José Pirela RBI single to put Lake County on top 1-0.
In the bottom of the inning, the Kernels responded. With two outs, Yasser Mercedes lasered a solo home run out to left to tie the game, 1-1.
Cedar Rapids took the lead in the fourth. To lead off the inning, Danny De Andrade blasted a home run to left-center field to put the Kernels on top 2-1. After the next batter, Jose Salas singled, he stole second and came home to score on an Irvin Nunez RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1.
The Captains got a run back in the top of the sixth. With one out, Anthony Martinez lined a home run to right, his fourth of the series, to halve Cedar Rapids lead to 3-2.
The Kernels got a run of insurance back in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs, JP Smith II worked a walk. A wild pitch moved Smith into scoring position for Luis Fragoza, whose RBI single grew the advantage back up to 4-2.
In the eighth, Cedar Rapids added one more. Ramiro Dominguez dropped in a one-out triple in front of Nunez, who picked up his fourth hit of the day, an RBI single to right to make it 5-2, the score that would be the final.
The win improves the Kernels to 47-77 on the season as Cedar Rapids finishes the home slate 29-36. The Kernels hit the road for the final series of the 2026 season in South Bend. Game one is set for Tuesday at 6:05. Both starters are TBD.