Cedar Rapids Kernels are championship series bound

CEDAR RAPIDS — They had the best record in all of full-season minor league baseball. After a slow ending to the regular season and slow start to the playoffs, the Cedar Rapids Kernels found their form when they needed it most.

A 9-3 win over the Peoria Chiefs in Friday night’s deciding Game 3 at Veterans Memorial Stadium won the Midwest League Western Division finals and send the Kernels to the league championship series against the Great Lakes Loons.

The best-of-3 series begins Sunday afternoon in Midland, Mich., home of the Loons. After a day off for travel Monday, the series resume and concludes in Cedar Rapids, with Game 2 Tuesday night at 6:35 and Game 3 the following night at 6:35.

Cedar Rapids is seeking its first MWL championship since 1994.

The Kernels put up an immediate four-spot in the bottom of the first inning, riding momentum from Thursday night’s 9-4 win in Game 2. Noah Miller and Emmanuel Rodriguez led off with walks against Peoria starting pitcher Zane Mills.

After a fielder’s choice groundout that eliminated Miller at third, Andrew Cossetti singled to score Rodriguez with the game’s first run. Jorel Ortega and Luke Keaschall followed with RBI singles, Noah Cardenas singled to put runners on the corners, and Jose Salas hit a grounder to second base that scored a fourth run in the inning.

A Cardenas RBI single and Jose Salas two-run triple in the eighth made it a 9-1 game. Peoria scored twice in the ninth.

Starting pitcher C.J. Culpepper threw five strong innings, striking out eight, to get the victory. Keaschall and Cardenas each had three hits.

Great Lakes had the best overall record in the Eastern Division, eliminating Fort Wayne in the playoffs, 2-1, winning back-to-back games at home after losing on the road. The Loons and Kernels did not play in the regular season.

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