Cedar Rapids Kernels build early lead but fall to West Michigan in Game 1 of MWL finals

CEDAR RAPIDS - They had ‘em reeling in Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series. But could never quite put ‘em away.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels built a 3-0 lead after three innings Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich., though the mighty West Michigan Whitecaps are mighty for a reason. They scored the final five runs to rally for a 5-3 victory.

The Kernels face a familiar situation: coming home with their season on the line. Game 2 of this best-of-3 series is Tuesday night at 6:35 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

A deciding Game 3 would be Wednesday night at The Popper. Cedar Rapids lost the first game of the Western Division finals last week at Beloit only to take the final two at home.

History needs to repeat itself.

“They still have to come to our place, where they haven’t been this year,” said Kernels Manager Brian Meyer. “We know we’ll have a home-cooked crowd behind us. Hopefully they’re ready to go and fired up. We’re not backing down. The guys aren’t backing down.”

The Kernels worked West Michigan starting pitcher Preston Howey for a run in the top of the second inning and two in the third.

Danny DeAndrade doubled to left with one out and scored on Caden Kendle’s two-out clutch single through the left side in the second. Cedar Rapids got a leadoff walk from Jaime Ferrer in the third, with Kyle DeBarge then being hit by a pitch.

A deep fly to center moved Ferrer along, and he scored on an Eduardo Tait fielder’s choice grounder to second. West Michigan appeared to have a shot at an inning-ending double play, but Whitecaps shortstop Jack Penney fumbled the baseball after fielding a throw from the second baseman and couldn’t get a return throw off to first.

That proved key because Billy Amick followed with a double to right-center that scored Tait.

“Amick got a hanging breaking ball and was able to put a big swing on it,” Meyer said. “We battled against the starter, had a good game plan going in that we executed.”

Kernels starting pitcher Garrett Horn somehow worked around five walks the first two innings without giving up a run. Jacob Kisting relieved him to begin the third.

West Michigan got a run in the fourth when Austin Murr doubled to center with two outs and scored on Penney’s bloop single over the shortstop’s head. The Whitecaps then scored four times on five hits in the fifth, three of those hits being of the two-out RBI variety.

The Kernels could do nothing offensively after the third, with Marek Houston’s two-out infield single in the fourth their final hit in the game. Carlos Marcano got the pitching win in relief, striking out seven in 4 2/3 terrific innings.

Cedar Rapids got leadoff walks in the eighth and ninth but did nothing with them.

“I thought we had them,” Meyer said. “We got an early lead, you keep playing and everything. I think you look at the fifth inning there, and they got some balls to fall and everything. The guy they brought in to relieve threw well and shut us down.

“I don’t know if the chance has necessarily slipped away for us. We’ve still got another opportunity on Tuesday when they come to our place. Is it going to be an uphill battle? Sure. But we still have an opportunity in front of us.”

Iowan Ty Langenberg (5-6, 4.87 earned run average in the regular season) gets the starting pitching nod for the Kernels in Game 2. West Michigan improved its minor league-best overall record to 95-39.

The Whitecaps are 7-0 this season against Cedar Rapids.

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