There's a new love affair blooming on the southwest side of town between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and their growing legions of adoring fans.

The total attendance this season is running 40.5 percent ahead of last year, thanks to the Kernels' new affiliation with the Minnesota Twins, an exciting club and a string of dramatic victories.

Cedar Rapids raised its league-leading record to 29-13 Sunday with an 8-7 victory in the bottom of the ninth over the Kane County Cougars before 2,379 fans who stayed to the very end and cheered every pitch until Dalton Hicks lofted his sacrifice fly to left field to win the game.

The Kernels have drawn 32,410 fans to the ballpark through 19 dates, compared to just 23,073 fans for 19 dates in 2012. That's a healthy 40.5 percent increase and is bringing smiles to everyone, from General Manager Doug Nelson to all the players.

"We came from Beloit last year, so I'm not used to the big crowds. The atmosphere is a lot more electric," said Kernels outfielder J.D. Williams, who led off the ninth inning with a double and scored the winning run. "You can't ask for anything more than that from the community and the people around here.

"It's exciting," he said. "To have the crowd behind you on every pitch, that's just amazing to me."

Eight members of this year's club played for the Beloit Snappers in the Midwest League in 2012 when the Twins had their Class A team in Beloit, Wis. The Twins hooked up with Cedar Rapids this year, so that meant good-bye to the skimpy crowds and dull atmosphere in Beloit and hello to the fun and games in Cedar Rapids.

"Obviously it's been a fantastic year for us," said Nelson. "This team is so exciting to watch, it's creating a lot of excitement here in Cedar Rapids and getting local fans to come to the games."

The total attendance after 19 dates is ahead of the record pace in 2002, when the new Veterans Memorial Stadium opened and 196,066 fans poured through the gates. It's the second-fastest pace since the ballpark opened, trailing only 2005 when 33,553 fans had attended games at this point en route to a season total of 184,190.

Nelson set a goal before the season began of reaching 185,000 this season.

"We're on a wonderful pace right now," he said. "The excitement is in the community, so we have a shot at 185,000 and maybe even more."

The Kernels have a talented team with lots of top prospects, so Nelson naturally hopes the Twins keep the ballclub basically intact for the entire season.

"Obviously it would help," he said, "but this team is so deep, even if we do have a couple of well-deserved promotions, I still feel we're going to be a very strong team in the second half (of the Midwest League season)."

Young fans were invited to run the bases and get autographs from the players after Sunday's victory, and the Kernels happily signed every ball, cap, shirt and piece of paper they were given while sitting and standing in the right-field grass for 20 minutes after the game.

"It's awesome," said Hicks. "You don't see this at every park. You don't see the crowds staying after like this on the field.

"I think that gives us a little momentum, especially when we get on a roll, to help us stay in it more and get more runs."

The Kernels led, 7-5, with outs in the top of the ninth, but Kane County shortstop David Bote belted a two-run homer to tie the score. Bote was 0-for-3 and hitting .143 at the time with no homers, but that simply set the stage for another walk-off victory by the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth.

Williams led off with a wind-blown to left field and Byron Buxton laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, sending Williams to third base and nearly beating the throw to first. The fans booed when Buxton was called out on a bang-bang play.

Kane County Manager Mark Johnson elected to walk Niko Goodrum and Jorge Polanco on purpose, loading the bases with one out and setting up a potential double-play or force at home with the 6-foot-5, 252-pound Hicks due to bat next.

Hicks quickly grasped what the Cougars were doing and remembered exactly what he thought as they filled the sacks with two straight intentional walks.

"Thank-you," he thought. "That gives me an easy at-bat. I just have to make contact. With J.D. on the bases, pretty much anything will score him."

Eddie Orozco missed the plate with three straight pitches against Hicks. The crowd cheered every pitch as the count reached 3-and-0, sensing a walk-off walk.

Orozco finally threw a strike and Hicks took the pitch for a 3-and-1 count. The next pitch was on the outer half of the plate and Hicks, a powerful left-handed hitter, simply lofted the ball to medium-deep left field as Williams raced home with the winning run.

Hicks drove in three runs Sunday. Williams and Travis Harrison hit solo home runs.

The same two teams meet again Monday at 12:05 p.m.

KANE COUNTY (7): Zapata, cf, 5 1 1 1, Amaya, 2b, 4 0 1 1, Vogelbach, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Candelario, 3b, 4 1 2 0, Shoulders, lf, 4 1 1 2, Contreras, dh, 4 0 0 0, Rademacher, rf, 4 2 2 0, Escobar, c, 4 1 1 1, Bote, ss, 4 1 1 2. Totals 36 7 9 7.

KERNELS (8): Buxton, cf, 3 2 0 1, Goodrum, ss, 4 0 0 0, Polanco, dh, 3 2 2 2, Hicks, 1b, 4 0 2 3, Walker, rf, 4 0 0 0, Harrison, 3b, 4 1 1 1, Quesada, c, 4 0 0 0, Pimentel, 2b, 4 1 2 0, Williams, lf, 4 2 2 1. Totals 34 8 9 8.

Kane County     003 002 002 - 7 9 2
Kernels              101 030 111 - 8 9 0

Rosario, Dickson (5), Orozco (9) and Escobar. Tomshaw, Muren (7) and Quesada. W - Muren (2-0). L - Dickson (1-2). 2B - Escobar (1), Candelario (15), Pimentel (2), Williams (8). 3B - Amaya (3), Polanco (6). HR - Shoulders (10), Bote (1), Williams (4), Harrison (6). SB - Zapata (7), Polanco (1), Pimentel 2 (6), Buxton (18). SF - Hicks. E - Bote 2 (5). T - 2:43. A - 2,379.