Kernels rally but fall to Cougars in extra innings, 4-3

May 12, 2008 – The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied from a 3-0 deficit to send the game to extra innings, but the Kane County Cougars scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 12^th inning to send the Kernels to their third straight loss, 4-3, in Geneva, IL on Monday night.

The Kernels scored single runs in the top of the seventh and eighth innings on solo home runs by Julio Perez and Ivan Contreras and tied the game in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Anel De Los Santos. But two singles, a walk and an error in the bottom of the 12^th gave Kane County an unearned run off Kernels tough-luck loser, Ryan  Braser (0-2), for a 4-3 Cougar win.

Contreras finished the night going 2 for 6 with a doubled added to his home run. Clay Fuller was 2 for 5 and Jerry Gonzalez was 1 for 5 with a double as the Kernels had eight hits in the game.

Kernels starter Robert Fish didn’t figure in the final decision, allowing three runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts over six innings. Eddie McKiernan and Esmerlin Jimenez combined to hold the Cougars to a hit over four innings with four strikeouts.

Kane County reliever Scott Deal (3-0) pitched 1/3 of an inning to pick up the win.

The Kernels will look to snap this three game skid on Tuesday night as Jordan Walden starts for the Kernels. Game time is 6 pm from Elfstrom Field in Geneva, IL and you can listen as John Rodgers brings you all the action on 1450 KMRY or on the internet at www.kernels.com.

Cedar Rapids returns to Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday, May 16 to open an eleven game home stand with games against Clinton and Wisconsin. Tickets 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.

                      Cedar Rapids Kernels at Kane County Cougars
                     May 12, 2008 at Geneva, IL (Elfstrom Stadium)

  Cedar Rapids Kernels 3 (17-19)                Kane County Cougars 4 (23-11)

  Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
  ---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
  Fuller, Clay cf............  5  0  2  0       Keough, Shane lf...........  6  1  1  0
  Contreras, Ivan 2b.........  6  1  2  1       Ray, Matt 2b...............  6  0  1  0
  Navarro, Efren 1b..........  3  0  0  0       Dowling, Greg 1b...........  5  0  3  1
  Brossman, Jay 3b...........  5  0  0  0       Brown, Corey cf............  4  0  0  0
  Moore, Jeremy lf...........  5  0  1  0       Smith, Matt c..............  4  1  1  1
  Perez, Julio rf............  5  2  1  1       Smith, Jake dh.............  4  1  2  0
  De Los Santos, Anel c......  5  0  1  1       Johnson, Todd rf...........  3  0  1  1
  Castillo, Angel dh.........  5  0  0  0       Cobb, Larry 3b.............  4  0  0  1
  Gonzalez, Jerry ss.........  5  0  1  0       Correa, Walter ss..........  4  1  1  0
  Fish, Robert p.............  0  0  0  0       Hodsdon, Scott p...........  0  0  0  0
   McKiernan, Eddie p........  0  0  0  0        Sewell, Lance p...........  0  0  0  0
   Jimenez, Esmerlin p.......  0  0  0  0        Walters, Nick p...........  0  0  0  0
   Brasier, Ryan p...........  0  0  0  0        Hertzler, Brad p..........  0  0  0  0
                                                 Deal, Scott p.............  0  0  0  0

  Totals..................... 44  3  8  3       Totals..................... 40  4 10  4

  Score by Innings                        R  H  E
  -----------------------------------------------
  Cedar Rapids Kernels 000 000 111 000 -  3  8  2
  Kane County Cougars. 011 001 000 001 -  4 10  2
  -----------------------------------------------
  Note: None out, 3 runners LOB when the game ended.

  E - Gonzalez, J 2(5); Cobb, L(6); Deal, S(1). DP - Kernels 2. LOB - Kernels 10; Kane
  County 11. 2B - Contreras, I(3); Gonzalez, J(5); Dowling, G(13); Smith, J(6);
  Johnson, T(7). HR - Contreras, I(2); Perez, J(2). HBP - Fuller, C; Dowling, G. SF -
  Cobb, L. SB - Contreras, I(1). CS - Fuller, C(1); Keough, S(4); Johnson, T(2).

  Cedar Rapids Kernels           IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Fish, Robert ..............   6.0  7  3  3  1  5   0  0  1  0   24 27   6  7
  McKiernan, Eddie ..........   1.0  0  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    3  3   1  0
  Jimenez, Esmerlin .........   3.0  1  0  0  3  2   0  0  0  0    8 11   2  3
  Brasier, Ryan  L,0-2.......   1.0  2  1  0  2  2   0  0  0  0    5  7   0  0

  Kane County Cougars            IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hodsdon, Scott ............   5.0  4  0  0  0  4   0  0  1  0   18 19   6  4
  Sewell, Lance .............   3.1  2  3  2  1  1   0  0  0  0   13 14   6  3
  Walters, Nick .............   1.2  1  0  0  2  2   1  0  0  0    6  8   1  2
  Hertzler, Brad ............   1.2  1  0  0  1  2   0  0  0  0    6  7   0  3
  Deal, Scott  W,3-0.........   0.1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0    1  1   1  0

  WP - Walters, N. HBP - by Hodsdon, S (Fuller, C); by Fish, R (Dowling, G).

  Strikeouts - Fuller, C; Navarro, E 2; Moore, J; Perez, J; DeLosSantos; Castillo, A
  2; Gonzalez, J; Keough, S; Ray, M 3; Brown, C 2; Smith, M; Smith, J; Johnson, T;
  Cobb, L; Correa, W. Walks - Navarro, E 3; Brossman, J; Brown, C; Smith, M; Smith, J;
  Johnson, T 2; Correa, W.

  Umpires - HP: Tony Gutierrez  1B: Joe Hannigan
  Start: 6:00   Time: 3:52   Attendance: 4222