Kernels lose pitcher's duel, 3-1, slip below .500 mark

May 11, 2008 – The Cedar Rapids Kernels dropped the final game of a four game series with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon in Appleton, WI, and dropped below the .500 mark for the first time since April 16.

Kernels starter Trevor Reckling (2-2) threw a complete game, the second for a Kernels pitcher this series, but was out-dueled by a trio of Wisconsin pitchers. Reckling allowed three runs (two earned) on only three hits, walked two and struck out five over eight innings.

Wisconsin starter Edward Paredes (2-3) allowed an unearned run on four hits, walked one and struck out two for the win as Jake Wild and Rob Harmon combined to strike out four over the final three innings with Harmon earning his first save.

The Kernels scored in the top of the second inning as Angel Castillo reached on an error and scored on an RBI single by Julio Perez.

Gordie Gronkowski was 1 for 3 with a double and Clay Fuller was 1-4 with a double as the Kernels had four hits on the afternoon.

The game was played in a brisk two hours. The loss drops the Kernels overall record to 17-18 as Wisconsin improves to 14-18.

The Kernels now head south to Geneva, IL and open a four game series with the Kane County Cougars, Monday night at 6:00 pm. Lefty Robert Fish starts for the Kernels against right-hander Scott Mitchinson. John Rodgers brings you all the play-by-play action on the internet at www.kernels.com or listen in eastern Iowa on the home of Kernels baseball, 1450 KMRY.

                      Cedar Rapids Kernels at Wisconsin T-Rattlers
                   May 11, 2008 at Appleton, WI (Fox Cities Stadium)

  Cedar Rapids Kernels 1 (17-18)                Wisconsin T-Rattlers 3 (14-18)

  Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
  ---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
  Fuller, Clay cf............  4  0  1  0       Mendez, Maximo cf..........  4  0  1  0
  Romine, Andrew ss..........  3  0  0  0       Diaz, Juan ss..............  3  0  0  0
  Navarro, Efren 1b..........  3  0  0  0       Dickey, Gavin lf...........  4  0  0  0
  De Los Santos, Anel c......  4  0  0  0       Liddi, Alex 3b.............  2  1  0  0
  Castillo, Angel lf.........  3  1  0  0       Dunigan, Joe dh............  3  1  1  1
  Gronkowski, Gordie dh......  3  0  1  0       Garth, Ron 1b..............  2  1  1  0
  Perez, Julio rf............  3  0  1  1       Beamon, Calvin rf..........  3  0  0  0
  Gonzalez, Jerry 3b.........  3  0  1  0       Ochoa, Blake c.............  3  0  0  1
  Contreras, Ivan 2b.........  3  0  0  0       Meneses, Alex 2b...........  3  0  0  0
  Reckling, Trevor p.........  0  0  0  0       Paredes, Edward p..........  0  0  0  0
                                                 Wild, Jake p..............  0  0  0  0
                                                 Harmon, Rob p.............  0  0  0  0

  Totals..................... 29  1  4  1       Totals..................... 27  3  3  2

  Score by Innings                    R  H  E
  -------------------------------------------
  Cedar Rapids Kernels 010 000 000 -  1  4  1
  Wisconsin T-Rattlers 000 200 10X -  3  3  2
  -------------------------------------------

  E - Reckling, T(1); Diaz, J(6); Meneses, A(4). DP - Wisconsin 2. LOB - Kernels 3;
  Wisconsin 3. 2B - Fuller, C(7); Gronkowski,G(4); Garth, R(6). 3B - Dunigan, J(1).
  HBP - Liddi, A. SB - Fuller, C(8). CS - Castillo, A(1).

  Cedar Rapids Kernels           IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Reckling, Trevor  L,2-2....   8.0  3  3  2  2  5   0  1  1  0   27 30   3 15

  Wisconsin T-Rattlers           IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Paredes, Edward  W,2-3.....   6.0  4  1  0  1  2   0  0  0  0   20 21   5  8
  Wild, Jake ................   2.0  0  0  0  0  3   0  0  0  0    6  6   1  2
  Harmon, Rob  S,1...........   1.0  0  0  0  1  1   0  0  0  0    3  4   2  0

  HBP - by Reckling, T (Liddi, A). BK - Reckling, T.

  Strikeouts - Fuller, C; Romine, A; DeLosSantos; Gronkowski,G; Gonzalez, J;
  Contreras, I; Mendez, M; Liddi, A; Dunigan, J 2; Meneses, A. Walks - Romine, A;
  Navarro, E; Diaz, J; Garth, R.

  Umpires - HP: Brent Rice  1B: Ben Karis
  Start: 1:05   Time: 2:00   Attendance: 802