Kernels rally for 4-3 win over Chiefs

May 6, 2008 – The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied from a 3-1 deficit and took the lead on Gordie Gronkowski’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday night at Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Gronkowski finished the night 2 for 3 and Jerry Gonzalez was also 2 for 3 with a double. Jeremy Moore was 1 for 4 with a triple in the eighth that allowed him to score on the sacrifice fly.

Jordan Towns, making his Kernels debut, threw two innings in relief of starter Trevor Reckling and held the Chiefs to just one hit to get the win. Reckling gave up three runs on six hits, walked five and struck out six over 6 innings and Ryan Brasier came on to strike out two in the ninth and notch his league-leading seventh save. Peoria reliever Audy Santana (0-2) gave up a run on three hits over two innings to take the loss.

The Kernels and Chiefs wrap up their series on Wednesday at high noon on 104.5 KDAT Lunch at the Ballpark. Regular hot dogs are $1 all game and it’s also Home Instead Senior Care Day. Gates open at 11 am.

Tickets are still available on-line at www.kernels.com, or by calling the Kernels Ticket Office after 10 am on Wednesday morning.

                         Peoria Chiefs at Cedar Rapids Kernels
                  May 06, 2008 at Cedar Rapids, IA (Veterans Memorial)

  Peoria Chiefs 3 (11-20)                       Cedar Rapids Kernels 4 (16-14)

  Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
  ---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
  Made, Jose dh..............  4  1  1  0       Fuller, Clay cf............  3  1  1  0
  Samson, Nathan ss..........  3  1  1  0       Romine, Andrew ss..........  4  0  1  0
  Donaldson, Josh c..........  3  0  1  0       Brossman, Jay 3b...........  3  0  0  1
  Smith, Marquez 3b..........  4  0  1  2       Moore, Jeremy lf...........  4  1  1  0
  Rosa, Jovan 1b.............  4  0  0  0       Gronkowski, Gordie 1b......  3  0  2  1
  Gonzalez, Marwin 2b........  4  0  1  0       Perez, Julio rf............  3  0  0  0
  Burke, Kyler rf............  3  1  1  0       De Los Santos, Anel c......  4  1  1  0
  Lara, Elvis lf.............  4  0  1  0       Johnson, Tyler dh..........  4  1  1  0
  Andersen, Cliff cf.........  4  0  0  1       Gonzalez, Jerry 2b.........  3  0  2  0
  Acosta, Ryan p.............  0  0  0  0       Reckling, Trevor p.........  0  0  0  0
   Blackford, Todd p.........  0  0  0  0        Towns, Jordan p...........  0  0  0  0
   Santana, Audy p...........  0  0  0  0        Brasier, Ryan p...........  0  0  0  0

  Totals..................... 33  3  7  3       Totals..................... 31  4  9  2

  Score by Innings                    R  H  E
  -------------------------------------------
  Peoria Chiefs....... 001 011 000 -  3  7  2
  Cedar Rapids Kernels 100 002 10X -  4  9  1
  -------------------------------------------

  E - Donaldson, J(2); Gonzalez, M(8); Romine, A(10). DP - Kernels 1. LOB - Peoria 9;
  Kernels 11. 2B - Gonzalez, M(7); Burke, K(3); Gonzalez, J(4). 3B - Moore, J(3). SH -
  Samson, N(9); Perez, J(1). SF - Brossman, J(2); Gronkowski,G(1). SB - Burke, K(3);
  Fuller, C 2(7).

  Peoria Chiefs                  IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Acosta, Ryan ..............   5.0  4  1  1  3  3   2  0  0  0   18 22   8  4
  Blackford, Todd ...........   1.0  2  2  0  1  0   1  0  0  0    5  7   0  3
  Santana, Audy  L,0-2.......   2.0  3  1  1  1  2   0  0  0  0    8 10   3  1

  Cedar Rapids Kernels           IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Reckling, Trevor ..........   6.0  6  3  3  5  6   1  0  0  0   23 29   4  7
  Towns, Jordan  W,1-0.......   2.0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0    7  7   0  6
  Brasier, Ryan  S,7.........   1.0  0  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    3  3   0  1

  WP - Acosta, R 2(2); Blackford, T(1); Reckling, T(1).

  Strikeouts - Made, J 2; Donaldson, J; Smith, M; Rosa, J; Burke, K; Lara, E;
  Andersen, C; Fuller, C; Brossman, J; Perez, J; Johnson, T; Gonzalez, J. Walks -
  Made, J; Samson, N; Donaldson, J 2; Burke, K; Fuller, C 2; Romine, A; Brossman, J;
  Gonzalez, J.

  Umpires - HP: Philip Henry  1B: Keith Rogowski
  Start: 6:30   Time: 2:37   Attendance: 1844