Chiefs Score Five in the First Three Innings, Hold on to Top Kernels 6-4

May 17, 2023 – Midwest League (MWL) – Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release

Cedar Rapids, IA – After a two-run second inning and a three-run third, Peoria jumped out to a 5-0 advantage and held on Wednesday afternoon to even up the series with Cedar Rapids at a game a piece.

After a scoreless first inning, Jimmy Crooks opened up the scoring in the top of the second, blasting his first home run of the season over the right field wall, a solo shot to make it 1-0. The next batter Jeremy Rivas singled and after a flyout, so did Brody Moore to put runners on the corners. Rivas came home to score on the successful double-steal of the second and home to make it 2-0 Peoria.

In the third, the Cheifs blew the game open with a three-run frame. A single and an error put two runners on for Crooks, who drove them both in with a two-run triple to make it 4-0. Rivas then smacked his second hit of the contest into centerfield, scoring Crooks to make it 5-0.

After not reaching base in the first four innings, the Kernels rallied back to make it a one-run contest after five innings following a four-run frame. Kala’i Rosario, Misael Urbina, and Jose Salas hit three consecutive doubles to draw within three, then after a strikeout, Kyler Fedko belted his first home run of the season over the tall left field wall to make it a one-run game at 5-4.

That remained the tally all the way until the top of the eighth, when for the second straight outing, Moore came through with a clutch two-out RBI base hit, this one a double that scored Rivas to give the Chiefs some insurance and make the game 6-4.

Cedar Rapids put runners on in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to draw even as the Chiefs grabbed game two of the six-game series 6-4.

The victory for Peoria (19-16) snaps the Cedar Rapids (19-16) five-game winning streak and is the first against the Kernels this season. The Kernels look to regain the series lead over the Chiefs tomorrow night at 6:35 with Jaylen Nowlin on the mound against Tink Hence in a rematch of the opening day pitching matchup.

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