The 2,899 fans who showed up for the game at Veterans Memorial Stadium Saturday saw a familiar face in left field for the locals as outfielder J.D. Williams, who played 80 games with Cedar Rapids before being promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle last season, has rejoined the club from extended spring training.

Williams made his presence felt early Saturday night, driving in Engelb Vielma with the Kernels’ first run of the night with a double to left field in the third inning.

The Kernels went on to top the visiting Peoria Chiefs, 3-0, tying the current series at one game each.

Aaron Slegers (3-0) turned in a second straight top-of-the-line performance on the mound for Cedar Rapids, throwing seven innings of shutout ball. He struck out six Peoria hitters, while surrendering just four hits and a pair of walks.

Williams replaces second baseman Tanner Vavra, who has been placed on the club’s 7-day Disabled list with an injured ankle.

Saturday’s game was Williams’ first real contest of the year, outside of the games he played in extended spring training while recovering from an injury.

“I broke my thumb. I squared around for a bunt base hit and a fastball came in and got me on the thumb,” he said.

The injury came near the end of spring training and Williams had been waiting since then to get back on the field in front of a crowd.

“It feels good," he said. "Just getting used to a new group of guys, I didn’t play with them in spring training, but it’s a good group of guys. A good team they’ve got here.”

Slegers lowered his ERA to 2.52 with his seven shutout innings.

“I’m just trying to be consistent,” he said. “Trying to keep the hitters off balance.”

Alex Muren relieved Slegers and threw a perfect eighth inning and Brandon Peterson followed with a perfect ninth for his third save of the season.

Vielma and Chad Christensen led the Cedar Rapids offense with two hits apiece.

Christensen crossed the plate with the Kernels' second run in the fourth inning. After leading the inning off with a double to left-center field, he advanced to third base on Mitch Garver’s warning track fly ball to right and scored on Ivory Thomas’ RBI single.

Vielma scored the Kernels’ final run in the eighth inning. He doubled to lead off the frame, moved to third base on a groundout and scored on Logan Wade’s double.

The Kernels (16-12) will wrap up the series and the current homestand with a 2:05 finale against Peoria on Sunday.

PEORIA (0): McElroy, cf, 4 0 0 0, Herrera, ss, 4 0 0 0, Kelly, c, 4 0 1 0, Castillo, dh, 4 0 2 0, Peoples-Walls, lf, 4 0 0 0, Bosco, rf, 4 0 1 0, Valera, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Katz, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Schulze, 2b, 2 0 0 0. Totals 31 0 4 0.

KERNELS (3): Williams, lf, 4 0 1 1, Wade, 2b, 4 0 1 1, Christensen, 1b, 4 1 2 0, Garver, c, 4 0 0 0, Thomas, rf, 3 0 1 1, Haar, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Kanzler, cf, 3 0 1 0, Licon, dh, 3 0 1 0, Vielma, ss, 3 2 2 0. Totals 31 3 9 3.

Peoria   000 000 000 - 0 4 0
Kernels  001 100 01x - 3 9 1

McKnight, Perry (6), Loraine (8) and Kelly. Slegers, Muren (8), Peterson (9) and Garver. W - Slegers (3-0). L - McKnight. S - Peterson (3). 2B - Castillo (6), Kelly (4), Williams (1), Christensen (3), Vielma (2), Wade (7). E - Haar (3). T - 2:18. A - 2,899.