Kane County Cougars at Cedar Rapids Kernels
April 10th, 2002
| Kane County |
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0 |
0 |
2 |
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0 |
0 |
1 |
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1 |
0 |
0 |
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4 |
11 |
2 |
| Cedar Rapids |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
7 |
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4 |
0 |
X |
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11 |
11 |
1 |
E-Hicks, Rundgren, Thomas, LOB KC-6, CR-4, 3B-Arroyo, HR-Stokes (Shell), Mathis (Schilling), Cahill (Schilling), CS-Brewer, Frazier, SACF-Nevins
WP-Ungs, BK-Shell, PB-Zapey, SO-Hicks, Stokes, Arnott, Frazier 2, Tucker, Zapey 2, Rundgren, Mathis, Porter, Napoli 2, Nevins, Cahill, Turner 3, BB-Arnott, Rundgren, Melgarejo 2, Porter, McPherson, Nevins
T-2:29, A-1,480
U-Kaylor, Stewart
Cedar Rapids Gazette
by Jeff Johnson
With three shutouts in five games and a gaudy 1.32 team earned run average, it was pitching that carried the Cedar Rapids Kernels through the first week of the Midwest League season.
But you get 11 guess what won Wednesday night's game.
That's how many runs the Kernels put up in an 11-4 shelling of the Kane County Cougars before 1,480 fans at Memorial Stadium.
Cedar Rapids (5-1) improved to 3-0 in it's brand new ballpark and proved it could beat up on someone other than Quad City, which it faced in it's previous five games.
This victory came thanks primarily to the bats, which produced a seven run sixth inning explosion that eradicated a 3-0 deficit.
"The pitching staff has been doing a great job," said catcher Jeff Mathis, who hit the first of two three run home runs in the tell take Kernels sixth. "I'm just glad that we could get them some runs today and make them feel more relaxes out there on the mound."
"We owed them a little bit of relief, I guess", added Jon Cahill, who hit the second three run homer, "They've been working really hard the last three, four or five games, that we've been playing. (The offense) kind of woke up there a little bit."
Though it ended well, the Kernels (5-1) didn't do much against Kane County starter Nick Ungs.
The former Dyersville Beckman prep and University of Northern Iowa standout made a triumphant return to the area, of sorts, by throwing five innings of two hit, shutout baseball. Ungs dosen't throw hard but effectively mixed his pitches and changed speeds masterfully Wednesday, keeping Kernels hitters off balance.
"He can pitch," said Kernels manager Todd Claus, "He mixed his pitches, he threw strikes, he kept the ball down."
"It's a booster for me," said Ungs, who walked one and struck out six, "I've got to look at the positive side, No, the team didn't win. But I've got something to build off of." After Ungs left the Kernels' bats returned.
Mathis immediately tied the game with a bomb over the picnic area in left field that undoubtedly landed on neighboring 12th street. It was the second home run in as many nights for Mathis, who hit his first professional homer to win the first game of Tuesday night's double header against Quad City.
"I'm just glad that I could get one out," said Mathis, the 19 year old supplemental first round draft pick. "Get one that I solid and get it out of the park and get our team back into it a little bit. That one feld pretty good."
Four batters later, Mike Napoli chinked and RBI seeing eye single to short right field for a 4-3 Kernels lead. Two batters after that, Cahill took advantage of a strong wind blowing out by lofting his three run homer just over the "White Monster" short porch in dead left.
It was Cahill's first hit of the season in 13 at bats. "It was an offspeed pitch, and I caught myself out in front of it," Cahill said, "But I got it up there in the jet stream and got some carry on it. I can't argue with that. Some of the left handed hitters were mad when I got back to the dugout though."
The seven run battering was all registered against lefty reliever Tim Schilling (0-1). Another southpaw reliever Lou Evans came on in the seven and gave up four more runs.
Cedar Rapids finished with a season high 11 hits. Ransel Melgarejo and Casey Kotchman had two each.
Right hander Steven Shell won his second straight game, thought he was comparatively ineffective from his first outing against Quad City on opening night.
Shell went six innings, allowing eight hits and three runs.
How They Scored
Top 3rd
(Shell pitching) Arroyo hits one out RBI triple to left. Hicks scores Arroyo with ensuing run scoring single to right.
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Top 6th
Stokes hits solo home run to dead center.
Cougars 3, Kernels 0
Bottom 6th
(Schilling pitching) Mathis hits no out three run homer to left. Napoli hits two out RBI single to right. Cahill hits two out three run homer to left.
Cougars 3, Kernels 7
Top 7th
(Thomas pitching). Arroyo brings home a run with a fielder's choice grounder.
Cougars 4, Kernels 7
Bottom 7th
(Evans pitching), first five Kernels reach base. McPherson hits two run single to left center. Nevins hits sacrifice fly. A fourht run scores on left fielder Hicks fielding error.
Cougars 4, Kernels 11
Play By Play
Cougars 1st
Brewer, lined to shortstop Cahill
Arroyo, flied to centerfielder Melgarejo
Hicks, singles to left
Stokes, grounded to shortstop Cahill to first baseman Napoli
Cougars 0, Kernels 0
Kernels 1st
Melgarejo, singles to second.
-Melgarejo, picked off pitcher Ungs to first baseman Stokes
Mathis, called out of strikes
Kotchman, grounded out to second baseman Arroyo to first baseman Stokes
Cougars 0, Kernels 0
Cougars 2nd
Arnott, grounded out third baseman McPherson to first baseman Napoli
Frazier, singled to center
-Frazier, caught stealing second, catcher Mathis to second baseman Turner
Tucker, poped out to second baseman Turner
Cougars 0, Kernels 0
Kernels 2nd
Porter, grounded out to first baseman Napoli to pitcher Shell
McPherson, walked
Napoli, flied to right fielder Frazier
Nevins, grounded out to pitcher Ungs to first baseman Stokes
Cougars 0, Kernels 0
Cougars 3rd
Zapey, singled to left
Rundgren, flied to centerfielder Melgarejo
-Shell, balks, Zapey moved to second
Brewer, singled to left, Zapey moved to third, out at home leftfielder Nevins to catcher Mathis to pitcher Shell to catcher Mathis to third baseman McPherson to first baseman Napoli, Brewer moves to third
Arroyo, tripled to left, Brewer scored
Hicks, singled to right, Arroyo scores
Stokes, flied to right fielder Porter
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Kernels 3rd
Cahill, called out on strikes
Turner, struck out swinging
Melgarejo, grounded out to third baseman Tucker to first baseman Stokes
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Cougars 4th
Arnott, grounded out to pitcher Shell to first baseman Napoli
Frazier, strike out swinging
Tucker, flied to centerfielder Melgarejo
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Kernels 4th
Mathis, flied to centerfielder Brewer
Kotchman, singles to left
Porter, strike out swinging
-Kotchman, moved to second on a Ungs wild pitch
McPherson, lined deep to leftfielder Hicks
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Cougars 5th
Zapey, strike out swinging
Rundgren, called out on strikes
Brewer, singled to right
-Brewer, caught stealing second, catcher Mathis to short stop Cahill
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Kernels 5th
Napoli, called out on strikes
Nevins, called out on strikes
Cahill, grounded out second baseman Arroyo to first baseman Stokes
Cougars 2, Kernels 0
Cougars 6th
Arroyo, flied to leftfielder Nevins
Hicks, grounded out to first baseman Napoli unassisted
Stokes, home run to centerfield
Arnott, walked
Frazier, strike out swinging
Cougars 3, Kernels 0
Kernels 6th
Pitching Change:Tim Schilling replaced Nick Ungs
Turner, singled to center
Melgarejo, walked, Turner to second
Mathis, home run to left field, Turner and Melgarejo scored
Kotchman, grounded out third baseman Tucker to first baseman Stokes
Porter, singled to short
McPherson, grounded into fielder's choice, Porter out at second, second baseman Arroyo to short stop Rundgren, McPherson advances to second on throwing error by shortstop Rundgren
Napoli, singled down left field line, McPherson scored
-Napoli, moved to second on passed ball on catcher Zapey
Nevins, walked
Cahill, home run to left, Napoli and Nevins scored
Turner, called out on strikes
Cougars 3, Kernels 7
Cougars 7th
Pitching Change:Adam Thomas replaces Steve Shell
Tucker, singled to right center
Zapey, flied to centerfielder Melgarejo
Rundgren, walked, Tucker to second
Brewer, singled to right, loaded the bases
Arroyo, grounded out on fielder's choice, Brewer out at second, second baseman Turner to short stop Cahill, Tucker scored, Rundgren to third.
Hicks, strike out swinging
Cougars 4, Kernels 7
Kernels 7th
Pitching Change:Lou Evans replaces Tim Schilling
Melgarejo, singled to short
Mathis, singled to center, Melgarejo, moved to second
Kotchman, singled to left, Melgarejo moved to third, Mathis moved to second, then on fielding error by leftfielder Hicks, Melgarejo scored, Mathis moved to third, Kotchman to second
Porter, walked, bases loaded
McPherson, singled to left center, Mathis and Kotchman scored, Porter moved to third. McPherson moved to second on throw home
Napoli, strike out swinging.
Nevins, hits a sacrifice fly to center, Porter scores
Cahill, flied to centerfielder Melgarejo
Cougars 4, Kernels 11
Cougars 8th
Pitching Change:Steve Andrade replaces Adam Thomas
Stokes, strikes out swinging
Arnott, called out on strikes
Frazier, singled to left
Tucker, called out on strikes
Cougars 4, Kernels 11
Kernels 8th
Pitching Change:Kevin Cave replaces Lou Evans
Turner, called out on strikes
Melgarejo, walked
Mathis, grounded out second baseman Arroyo to first baseman Stokes
Kotchman, grounded out second baseman Arroyo to first baseman Stokes
Cougars 4, Kernels 11
Cougars 9th
Zapey, called out on strikes
Rundgren, lined to shortstop Cahill
Brewer, popped to second baseman Turner
Cougars 4, Kernels 11