Kernels Score Four in the Ninth, Rally to Walk-off Quad Cities 9-8

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Jay Thomason lined a single to left field to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth, completing a four-run inning as the Kernels came from behind to knock off the River Bandits, 9-8.

For the seventh consecutive game, Cedar Rapids scored first. In the bottom of the first, Brandon Winokur doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to put the Kernels ahead 1-0.

That lead was short-lived. In the top of the second, four consecutive singles combined to plate a pair of Quad Cities runs to leap the River Bandits ahead 2-1.

Quad Cities added on in the third. A pair of doubles from Blake Mitchell and Luke Pelzer scored a run to make it 3-1. With Pelzer on second, the next batter, Derlin Figueroa, homered to right-center to grow the River Bandit lead to 5-1.

The Kernels responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Winokur was hit by a pitch, and Eduardo Tait singled to put two on for Khadim Diaw, who continued his hot stretch with an RBI double. The next batter, Yasser Mercedes, closed the gap to 5-3 with an RBI groundout.

But the River Bandits pulled away even more in the fourth. After a pair of singles opened the inning, an error on a sacrifice bunt plated a run to make it 6-3. Then, back-to-back RBI singles from Asbel Gonzalez and Mitchell added two more runs to make the Quad Cities lead a game-high 8-3.

That, however, was the end of the Quad Cities scoring in the game. The Cedar Rapids bullpen, combined between Nick Trabacchi, Sam Rochard and Brian Zeldin, was the unsung hero of the night. The trio did not allow a run across the final 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.

With the Kernels pen keeping them in it, the offense got two back in the sixth. With one out, Mercedes homered to centerfield to cut the deficit to 8-4. After him, a Quinn McDaniel walk, and a Jacob McCombs single put two runners on the corners for Rayne Doncon, who scored a run to make it 8-5 with an RBI groundout.

That stayed the score until the bottom of the ninth. Trailing by three, Winokur walked to open the inning. After he stole second, he scored on a Tait double to trim the hole to 8-6. A Diaw single put runners on the corners for Mercedes, who singled into center to make it a one-run game, 8-7. With runners on second and third, McCombs was intentionally walked to load the bases for Doncon, who worked a walk to tie the game, 8-8. With the bases still loaded, Jay Thomason came to the plate and lined a single into left, plating the winning run and lifting the Kernels to a 9-8 walk-off win.

The victory is the Kernels' fifth walk-off win on the season and improves Cedar Rapids to 24-22 on the year. The six-game series with the River Bandits continues at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Wednesday at 12:05. Jason Doktorczyk gets the start opposite Aiden Jimenez.