Loons win a wild one, 8-7, over Kernels

April 16, 2008 – The Great Lakes Loons scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning to cap an 8-7 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on a wild Wednesday night at Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The game saw six errors by the Kernels and, at one point, had shortstop Jerry Gonzalez pitching to one batter in the seventh inning, as Kernel reliever Sammy Leon warmed up in the bullpen.

Grodie Gronkowski had a breakout night as he just missed hitting for the cycle by a double. Gronkowski was 3 for 3 with a triple, home run and RBI. Jay Brossman and Anel De Los Santos each had 2 RBI.

Kernels starter Jordan Walden gave up six runs (one earned) on five hits, struck out two and walked one over 5.2 innings in a no-decision effort. Reliever Ryan Brasier was the tough-luck loser as he gave up an uneared run on one hit and struck out three in two innings of relief work.

Bobby Blevins (1-1) gave up one hit and struck out four over three innings to get the win in relief of Loons starting pitcher Kyle Smit.

Six of the Kernels ten hits were for extra bases: Clay Fuller, Ivan Contreras and Gronkowski had triples; Efren Navarro and Anel De Los Santos each had a double; and Gronkowski’s home run was his first as a Kernel.

The Kernels end their first home stand at 5-4 and are 6-7 overall. Great Lakes improves to 7-6.

After an off day on Thursday, the Kernels hit the road for six games with three at South Bend and Dayton. They return home on Friday, April 26 for a three game series with the 2007 MWL Champion West Michigan Whitecaps.

Tickets for all Kernels home games are available on-line at www.kernels.com, or by calling the Kernels Ticket Office at 896-7560. Ticket Office hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday.

                       Great Lakes Loons at Cedar Rapids Kernels
                  Apr 16, 2008 at Cedar Rapids, IA (Veterans Memorial)

  Great Lakes Loons 8 (7-6)                     Cedar Rapids Kernels 7 (6-7)

  Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
  ---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
  Rosario, Jovanny cf........  5  0  1  3       Moore, Jeremy lf...........  4  1  2  1
  Kanaby, Erik lf............  5  1  1  0       Fuller, Clay cf............  4  2  1  0
  Mattingly, Preston 2b......  5  1  1  0       Brossman, Jay 3b/ss........  5  0  1  2
  Lambo, Andrew dh...........  4  1  1  1       Gronkowski, Gordie dh/3b...  3  2  3  1
  Garabedian, Alex c.........  3  0  0  0       Navarro, Efren 1b..........  3  1  1  1
   Jansen, Kenley c..........  1  0  0  0        Leon, Sammy p.............  0  0  0  0
  Becker, Joe ss.............  4  1  1  0        Collet, Cody ph...........  0  0  0  0
  Baez, Pedro 3b.............  4  1  1  0        Brasier, Ryan p...........  0  0  0  0
  Van Slyke, Scott rf........  3  2  0  0       De Los Santos, Anel c......  3  1  1  2
  Ortiz, Jamie 1b............  3  1  1  1       Johnson, Tyler rf..........  3  0  0  0
  Smit, Kyle p...............  0  0  0  0       Gonzalez, Jerry ss/p.......  4  0  0  0
   Melgarejo, Thomas p.......  0  0  0  0       Contreras, Ivan 2b.........  4  0  1  0
   Blevins, Bobby p..........  0  0  0  0       Walden, Jordan p...........  0  0  0  0

  Totals..................... 37  8  7  5       Totals..................... 33  7 10  7

  Score by Innings                    R  H  E
  -------------------------------------------
  Great Lakes Loons... 200 014 001 -  8  7  0
  Cedar Rapids Kernels 002 310 100 -  7 10  6
  -------------------------------------------

  E - Fuller, C(1); DeLosSantos(3); Gonzalez, J 2(2); Contreras, I 2(3). DP - Great
  Lakes 2. LOB - Great Lakes 4; Kernels 5. 2B - Lambo, A(5); Navarro, E(2);
  DeLosSantos(2). 3B - Rosario, J(3); Fuller, C(2); Gronkowski,G(1); Contreras, I(1).
  HR - Gronkowski,G(1). HBP - DeLosSantos. SB - Kanaby, E(4); Moore, J 2(5);
  Gronkowski,G(2). CS - Gronkowski,G(1).

  Great Lakes Loons              IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Smit, Kyle ................   3.2  5  5  5  3  0   1  0  1  0   14 18   3  6
  Melgarejo, Thomas .........   2.1  4  2  2  0  1   0  0  0  0   11 11   2  3
  Blevins, Bobby  W,1-1......   3.0  1  0  0  2  4   0  0  0  0    8 10   1  2

  Cedar Rapids Kernels           IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Walden, Jordan ............   5.2  5  6  1  1  2   0  0  0  0   25 26   4 10
  Gonzalez, Jerry ...........   0.0  0  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0    0  1   0  0
  Leon, Sammy ...............   1.1  1  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    5  5   2  1
  Brasier, Ryan  L,0-1.......   2.0  1  1  0  0  3   0  0  0  0    7  7   2  1

  WP - Smit, K(3). HBP - by Smit, K (DeLosSantos).

  Strikeouts - Rosario, J; Mattingly, P; Lambo, A 2; Jansen, K; Becker, J; Baez, P;
  Brossman, J 2; Johnson, T 2; Contreras, I. Walks - Van Slyke, S; Ortiz, J; Moore, J;
  Fuller, C; Gronkowski,G; Collet, C; Johnson, T.

  Umpires - HP: Nate Thompson  1B: Brandon Misun
  Start: 6:30 pm   Time: 3:13   Attendance: 1112

  Gonzalez, J faced 1 batter in the 6th.
  Melgarejo, T faced 1 batter in the 7th.