Four Home Runs Power Kernels Past Chiefs 14-8

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Kernels crushed four home runs, including an Andy Lugo grand slam, to slug past Peoria 14-8 Sunday afternoon, winning the season-opening series over the Chiefs.

For the third time in as many games to start the season, Peoria opened the scoring. In the top of the first, a walk, a hit and an error put runners on second and third with two outs. On a ground ball, the Tai Peete crossed home plate before Jesús Báez was tagged out to put the Chiefs on top 1-0.

In the third, the Chiefs added three more. A double and a walk put two on for Rainiel Rodriguez, who singled home a run to make it 2-0. After a double play, Won-Bin Cho and Cade McGee added two-out RBI hits to lift Peoria ahead 4-0.

But the Kernels came sprinting back. First, in the third, Jaime Ferrer singled in front of Marek Houston, who crushed his first home run of the season to cut the deficit to 4-2.

In the fourth, a Rayne Doncon walk followed by a Caden Kendle single to put two in scoring position for Andy Lugo, whose sacrifice fly brought Cedar Rapids within one at 4-3.

Cedar Rapids took its first lead in the fifth. With one out, Brandon Winokur blasted a solo home run to center field to tie the game 4-4. The next batter, Jacob McCombs, was then hit by a pitch before Kendle, who lifted the Kernels on top 6-4 with a two-run home run.

The Kernels blew it open in the sixth. A walk and a hit by pitch put two aboard for Khadim Diaw, who singled home a run to make it 7-4. After a walk loaded the bases, a two-base error plated two runs to open the lead to 9-4. Another walk re-loaded the bases for Lugo, who delivered the big blast of the game, a grand slam to left to blast Cedar Rapids ahead 13-4, and the Kernels never looked back.

After Peoria got two runs to make it a 13-6 contest, a McCombs double in the bottom of the seventh pushed Diaw across the plate to set the lead at 14-6.

The Chiefs added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but they would not get any closer in the 14-8 Cedar Rapids win.

With the win, the Kernels sweep the season-opening weekend series and begin the year 2-1. Up next, Cedar Rapids hits the road for the first time in 2026 with a six-game series in Beloit beginning Tuesday at 6:05. Both starters in game one are TBD.