Cedar Rapids, IA — The Cedar Rapids Kernels used a sacrifice fly with runners on the corners and nobody out in the bottom of the 10th inning to knock off the Quad Cities River Bandits on Saturday night in Cedar Rapids. The game was the first for the River Bandits with the new extra inning rules implemented by Minor League Baseball this season.
After the River Bandits could not push across a run in the top of the inning which began with J.J. Matijevic on second base, Cedar Rapids began the bottom half with leadoff man Akil Baddoo in scoring position. Royce Lewis hit a groundball to the left side that was stabbed on all fours by third baseman Adrian Tovalin. Baddoo, running towards third, managed to avoid Tovalin’s attempted tag to leave runners on the corners with nobody out. Kirilloff followed with the game-winning sacrifice fly against pitcher Peter Solomon.
Cedar Rapids jumped in front in the first inning against River Bandits starting pitcher Tyler Ivey. Baddoo led off the game with a base hit and then stole second base. After Lewis worked a walk, a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Ivey struck out Kiriloff, but Shane Carrier followed with a sharp single to left that scored Baddoo. The throw back to the infield got away and rolled into foul territory, allowing Lewis to score as well for a 2-0 Kernels lead.
The River Bandits fought back to tie the game in the third thanks in part to a miscue by the Kernels. Jake Meyers drew a walk to start the inning and moved to second on a passed ball. Corey Julks followed with a line drive single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Jonathan Arauz walked to load the bases for the middle of the order. Matijevic popped out to short for the first out, but with Jake Adams at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Meyers to race home from third. Later in the bat, Adams smashed a ground ball under the glove of Andrew Bechtold to plate Julks and tie the game.
Cedar Rapids took the lead once again in the seventh inning. Jordan Gore reached on an infield single with one out to start the attack. After a lineout by Baddoo, Lewis smashed a double into the gap that Julks raced over to cut off. A bobble by Julks allowed Gore to score to make it 3-2.
The River Bandits forced the extra frame by tying the game in the top of the ninth. Gabriel Bracamonte started the rally with a walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch by Calvin Foucher. With two outs, Arauz grounded a ball up the middle that was stabbed by Gore at second, but he dropped the ball on the transfer and it rolled away far enough for Bracamonte to score from second. The play was ruled an infield single and an error.
Ivey went 4.2 innings and struck out nine. At one point he retired 12 straight Kernels hitters. Cole Watts came on with two outs in the fifth and worked out of a bases loaded jam in his 0.1 innings of action. Solomon tossed three scoreless frames before allowing the winning run in the tenth. The run is not considered an earned run.
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.
