Cowart continues producing despite battling slump (w/video of postgame candy drop)

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kaleb Cowart's batting average keeps dropping but his production remains constant. And actually his batting average went up Sunday afternoon.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels third baseman was 3-for-4 in a 9-6, 10-inning loss to Peoria at Veterans Memorial Stadium. He also had three RBIs to move within a whisker of the Midwest League lead.

It's all about learning and dealing with the ups and downs of professional baseball right now for the 19-year-old first-round draft pick. When you can be in a slump and still do positive things for your ballclub, that's good.

"It's not an individual sport," Cowart said. "I mean, obviously, statistics are individual, but I just go out every day and try and prepare. Try and get good quality at-bats. Just get in there and be behind my team and everything. Help the team win."

Cowart was at a season-low .245 going into Sunday but broke out with a solid single to center in the first inning, a solid single to left in the fifth and an infield hit in the eighth. A switch-hitter who's a natural right-handed hitter, Cowart has struggled mightily (.136) in limited at-bats from that side of the plate, so his first two hits against lefty Peoria starting pitcher Gerardo Concepcion were particularly encouraging.

As were the three runs knocked in that went along with those hits. Cowart's RBI total has climbed to 34, one back of Beloit's Miguel Sano.

"I am happy with that, for sure," Cowart said. "But that's not just me. That's people getting on base in front of me. I wouldn't have those RBIs if it wasn't for those guys. (Ryan) Jones, (Kevin) Moesquit and everyone else."

"What he's trying to do, and what he's been doing well, is making adjustments," said Kernels Manager Jamie Burke. "We've been working on a couple of things with him, and you see some positives. The thing is he keeps doing things when there are guys in scoring position."

Burke said he's also happy that Cowart continues to play a solid third base. His glove has been good, and he's got a plus arm.

"He separates," Burke said. "When he's going through a bad streak like he has been these last few days swinging the bat, he goes out there and plays a good third base. That's what's solid about him, being able to separate (offense and defense)."

The Kernels (19-24) fell into an immediate 4-0 first-inning hole but forced extra innings on a two-run double in the ninth by Moesquit. Peoria (20-24) jumped on losing relief pitcher Joe Melioris for three runs in the 10th.

Cedar Rapids came into the game well last in the 14-team Midwest League in team earned run average (4.48), a number that took a hit again Sunday with eight more earned runs against it.

"I can't put everything on the pitching," Burke said. "Obviously stats are stats. But to tell you the truth, our pitching staff has kept us in a lot of games."

Peoria's Concepcion got a no-decision after giving up six hits and four runs in five innings. He walked three and struck out two.

The parent Chicago Cubs signed the 20-year-old lefty to a five-year, $6 million contract in the offseason after he defected from Cuba.

Here is the game boxscore and video of a postgame candy drop. A helicopter dropped sacks of candy onto the Memorial Stadium outfield, with kids having the opportunity to scoop it all up.

Scoreboard _ Midwest League Scoreboard