Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Dayton, clinch Midwest League playoff berth

A 9-5 win Saturday gave Cedar Rapids the first-half championship in the Western Division

Jun. 18, 2022 10:51 pm, Updated: Jun. 20, 2022 9:51 am

Cedar Rapids Kernels 2nd basemen, Alerick Soularie, tosses a ground ball with his glove for an out during the 4th inning at Veteran Memorial Stadium Sunday, May 29, 2022. (Amir Prellberg/Freelance)

CEDAR RAPIDS — That’s nine for nine. Is that good?

The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Dayton, 9-5, Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium to clinch the Midwest League’s Western Division first-half championship.

That assured the Kernels a spot in the 2022 playoffs once they roll around in September. Cedar Rapids has been affiliated with the Minnesota Twins for nine seasons and has been a playoff qualifier all nine.

You can’t get any better than that.

Starting pitcher Cade Povich (5-4) struck out a career-high 11 for the Kernels, improving his earned run average to 3.38. Orlando and Miguel Rodriguez closed out the win, which moved the Kernels to a Midwest League-best record of 40-22.

Wander Javier and Alerick Soularie hit solo home runs for the Kernels. Javier had two hits and two RBIs, while Christian Encarnacion-Strand had three hits and scored twice.

Buoyed by the top earned run average in the 12-team league and the highest-scoring offense, the Kernels led the Western Division most of the first half. Dayton (38-23) leads the Eastern Division.

The teams conclude their six-game series Sunday afternoon at 2:05 at Memorial Stadium. Cedar Rapids has won three of the five games thus far.

West Michigan comes to town next week to end the first half and open the second half.