Kernels fall to Quad Cities, into first-place tie

DAVENPORT - All of a sudden, the Cedar Rapids Kernels have company atop the Midwest League's Western Division.

Quad Cities rallied for five runs in its final two at-bats to beat the Kernels, 8-4, Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The loss dropped Cedar Rapids (39-24) into a first-place tie with red-hot Beloit, which beat Wisconsin on Tuesday for its eight consecutive victory.

The Snappers (40-25) will play two more first-half games than the Kernels, who had two cancelled because of bad weather. There are five games remaining in the MWL's first half, and if the teams end tied, Beloit gets the nod for first place because it has a superior head-to-head record against Cedar Rapids (6-4).

Kernels pitchers walked eight QC hitters, though it was an error on third baseman Travis Harrison that kept alive a seventh-inning River Bandits rally. Jobduan Morales hit a two-out, two-run single up the middle for the winning runs.

Quad Cities scored three insurance runs in the eighth.

Jorge Polanco had a three-run double in a four-run Kernels' third. Reliever Caleb Brewer (0-1) took the pitching loss, though he did not allow an earned run in 1 2/3 innings.

The teams play again Wednesday night.

Here is the game boxscore: