Quick start catapults Kernels past Cougars

Scoring 4 runs in the first two innings, the Cedar Rapids Kernels jumped out to an early lead and hung on for a 5-3 victory over the Kane County Cougars on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva.

Andy Workman put the Kernels (32-38) on top in the first when he cracked a 2-run double with two outs to score Eric Stamets and Kaleb Cowart. In the second, Cowart punched a two-out single with the bases loaded against Kellen Moen (3-3) to bring home Chevy Clarke and Alex Yarbrough.

Moen settled down after that and only surrendered 1 more run, when Workman belted a home run in the fifth to make it 5-0.

Dan Reynolds started for the Kernels and carried a shutout into the bottom of the fifth when Jorge Bonifacio singled home Dean Espy. Danny Mateo also scored on the play when Clarke committed a throwing error trying to gun down Mateo at third.

The Kernels were held hitless after the fifth inning as Cody Fassold, Malcom Culver and Matt Ridings put together 4 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Cougars (34-36).

Orlando Calixte blasted his team-leading 10th home run of the season to pull the Cougars within 2 against Michael Johnson (4-3), but the Cougars didn’t get any closer. R.J. Alvarez, Aaron Meade and Ty Kelley (11th save) went the rest of the way to complete the Kernels’ sweep.