Kernels drop Beloit to move to 4-0

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Cedar Rapids Kernels are in the midst of a special, unprecedented 140-0 season.

Get your tickets to watch the first minor-league baseball team ever to go undefeated. Kentucky basketball's got nothing on these guys.

'We're on that track, right?” Kernels reliever Zach Tillery said, after his team's 8-3 win over Beloit in the home opener Sunday afternoon/evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

This is all said totally in jest, naturally. With the possible exception of that special part.

There is an absolute ton of baseball left, but you can't argue with a 4-0 start.

'This is a great ballclub,” Tillery said. 'Our lineup is solid, our starting pitching staff is really good, and our bullpen is great. It's all hands on deck at any time. Guys can go in and get outs. That's the bottom line.”

Tillery went in and got outs Sunday, relieving a struggling Sam Clay in the fifth inning and successfully bridging the gap between starter Michael Cederoth and closer Cam Booser. He gave up just one bunt single over 3 2/3 innings, didn't walk anyone, struck out three and was deservedly credited with the victory.

'The adrenaline was going,” he said. 'My first outing in a stadium in awhile. I just went in there and tried to fill up the zone, tried to shut the door on them.”

The Kernels scored five times in the first two innings, then added three biggies in the eighth to pull away. Zack Larson had a huge bases-clearing double in the second and drove in four overall, moving his very early season RBI total to eight.

With leadoff hitter Zack Granite and number two man Nick Gordon getting on base regularly, he's had plenty of run-scoring opportunities.

'They're always in scoring position,” he said. 'It's thanks to them. I'm just trying to put the ball in play hard. Put a good swing on it.”

Cedar Rapids also stole four bases Sunday, which is how Manager Jake Mauer said his club needs to play because it doesn't have guys who will regularly hit the ball over the fence.

'I like how we're running the bases,” he said. 'I think we are putting a lot of pressure on teams. I'm very happy with that. The guys we've needed to get off to good starts, some of the veterans, have done that. Granite's been swinging the bat good, Larson's been very good. Some of that leadership has been huge for us.”

The Kernels swept three games from Kane County to begin the season and are averaging a cool 6 ½ runs so far. Game two of this three-game series is Monday night at 6:35.

'Our pitching has been outstanding, we've had real good pitching,” Larson said. 'And our offense has been outstanding. We've been putting balls in play, we're being aggressive on the basepaths, just trying to get to the next base. Our team is clicking starting the season off, and that's always good. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Yeah, for about another 138 games, right?

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