Aaron Whitefield continues to be Mr. Clutch for Kernels in 7-6 win over Wisconsin

CEDAR RAPIDS — Take a guess at who is the most successful Cedar Rapids Kernels hitter with runners in scoring position. Go ahead.

It actually changed Thursday night. That's when Aaron Whitefield took over those honors with an absolute clutch, two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning that ended up giving his club a 7-6 win over Wisconsin at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Whitefield ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Wisconsin reliever Luke Barber, lining it over the shortstop's head and into left-center field to cap a comeback. Cedar Rapids scored three times in the eighth to overcome a 6-4 deficit.

'Every at-bat lately, I've just been trying to make sure I hit the fastball and lay off all the other stuff,' Whitefield said.

The Australian outfielder is now 18-for-54 with runners in scoring position this season, a rather saucy .333 average. Travis Blankenhorn was the team leader at .329.

'I think it's pretty good,' Whitefield said, when asked if he thought his RISP average was good or bad. 'I try and do my job when I come up with runners in scoring position. Whether it's move them over or bring them in. I try my best to kind of tame it down a little bit and just drive the ball.'

'He's done better since the season starter,' said Kernels Manager Tommy Watkins. 'He has hit well, and he's fun to watch out there defensively in center field. He's been taking better at-bats, working with (hitting coach Brian Dinkelman) on just getting the ball up in the zone. He's fun to watch, an athlete, for sure.'

Colton Davis (4-2) picked up the pitching win in relief, retiring all six guys he faced and striking out four. The Kernels (46-39, 7-8) scored their first four runs on solo home runs: from Lewin Diaz, Andre Jernigan, Christian Cavaness and Hank Morrison.

The game was briefly delayed before the top of the fourth inning when home plate umpire Nick Susie apparently was overcome by the heat. Susie was working just his second game — his first behind the plate — since missing six weeks due to a concussion sustained after taking a foul tip in a game.

Susie was replaced by Mike Droll of Coralville, who recently retired from umpiring after several years working Division I college games. Droll was asked by Kernels General Manager Scott Wilson to attend the game in case Susie met trouble upon his return to working the plate.

Wilson conferred with Midwest League President Dick Nussbaum and minor league baseball's umpiring supervisor to make that decision, which turned out to be a prudent one.

The Kernels and parent Minnesota Twins announced prior to the game that outfielder Lean Marrero has been placed on the disabled list with a broken hamate bone in his hand. That's almost always a season-ending injury.

Farm director Brad Steil said postgame that outfielder Trey Cabbage will join the Kernels from Rookie-level Elizabethton. Cabbage was hitting .240 in 13 games at E-town, with two homers, 10 RBIs and 11 walks.

He was a fourth-round draft pick of Minnesota out of high school in Tennessee in 2015. The Kernels host Peoria on Friday night at 6:35.

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