The Cedar Rapids Kernels enjoyed a Happy 4th of July on Thursday with 5,631 of their best new friends at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The second-largest crowd in stadium history came to the park on Armed Forces Day to celebrate the nation's birthday, enjoy performances by the Midwest Dueling Pianos, run the bases, bid on the Kernels' special stars-and-stripes jerseys, enjoy the game and enjoy a holiday fireworks display.

The Kernels added to the festivities by clipping the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 3-1, on home runs by Adam Brett Walker and Dalton Hicks and tight pitching.

The all-time record crowd at the stadium was set on July 12, 2002 when 5,861 fans poured through the gates. The new Veterans Memorial Stadium opened for business in 2002 and that attendance figure has stood the test of time ever since.

The Kernels came close to the record Thursday. The official seating capacity for the ballpark is listed at 5,300, but that doesn't count all the fans who sat on the grass down the left-field line.

The Kernels enjoyed sharing the holiday with their fans.

"It's awesome," said Walker, who belted a two-run homer to left-center in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. "It's definitely a lot of fun. It's a great atmosphere. It makes it a little more exciting."

Thursday's crowd of 5,631 topped the previous second-best mark of 5,589 that showed up for the Midwest League All-Star game in 2004.

"It's great," said Hicks, who socked a 400-foot solo homer to center field in the eighth inning to give Cedar Rapids a 3-1 lead. "It's especially loud, and I definitely feel the other team knows it. I kind of see them looking around, checking things out. I think that gives us an edge."

Josue Montanez (3-1) pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings for the Kernels. Alex Muren relieved Montanez with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning and needed only pitch to escape the jam.

Wisconsin scored a run against Muren in the seventh inning to draw within 2-1, but Tyler Jones pitched two scoreless frames to collect his sixth save. Jones ended the game with a strikeout on a sizzling 94 mph fastball.

The Kernels raised their overall record to 52-30 and upped their mark for the second half of the Midwest League campaign to 12-2, snapping a two-game slide.

Walker and Hicks, Thursday's big sluggers, have side-by-side cubicles in a corner of the Kernels' clubhouse and talk about hitting quite a bit. They both have 13 home runs this season, one behind team leader Travis Harrison as they wage a friendly chase for the Cedar Rapids home-run title this year.

"It's fun," said Walker, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound outfielder from Milwaukee who was a third-round draft pick in 2012. "We try to encourage each other and keep it going."

Walker played his college baseball at Jacksonville University in Florida. Hicks, a 6-foot-5, 252-pound first baseman, played at the University of Central Florida and their paths crossed several times before they became teammates in the Twins organization.

"Walker is awesome," said Hicks, a 17th-round pick last year. "I've seen him grow over the years. I faced him in college. There's a big difference from then until now.

"He's unbelievable," said Hicks. "Come to B.P. (batting practice) and you'll have an understanding of what power is. He's starting to get hot again and they better watch out."

Walker and Hicks were members of the Midwest League All-Star Team this year. Walker twice has been named the league's Player of the Week and Hicks has won the award once.

Hicks, a left-handed hitter, swings as hard as anyone in the league. He rarely gets cheated and has hit some impressive tape-measure home runs this year.

"He definitely swings hard," said Walker. "I think he's a great hitter. He's not just a power guy. He swings hard, but that's just the way he is. I think he's a great hitter."

Hicks, from Altamonte Springs, Fla., is hitting .298 with 13 homers and leads the Midwest League with 74 RBIs. Walker is hitting .273 with 13 homers and 64 RBIs. Harrison, a third baseman from Aliso Viejo, Calif., is hitting .277 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs.

As far as the personal home-run battle between Hicks and Walker, Hicks is betting on his buddy. "Walker will have more home runs by the end of the year," he said. "He can run into a lot more balls. He has a lot of power."

Oddly, Walker is batting .318 on the road but only .222 at home. He's hit eight of his 13 home runs in Cedar Rapids, but has a better average in other towns.

"I didn't really notice that," said Walker. "I just try to stick with the same stuff. It just so happens to be that way."

Cedar Rapids and Wisconsin (34-45) will play the second game of their two-game series Friday night at 6:35.

WISCONSIN (1): Rodriguez, ss, 4 0 2 0, Reed, lf, 3 0 1 0, Taylor, cf, 3 0 0 0, Roache, dh, 4 0 1 0, Garza, 3b, 4 0 0 0, Berberet, 1b, 4 1 1 0, McFarland, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Roberts, c, 3 0 0 0, Walla, rf, 3 0 0 1. Totals 31 1 5 1.

KERNELS (3): Williams, dh, 3 0 0 0, Polanco, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Hicks, 1b, 4 1 2 1, Harrison, 3b, 4 0 2 0, Kepler, cf, 3 1 0 0, Walker, rf, 3 1 1 2, Goodrum, ss, 2 0 0 0, Quesada, c, 3 0 0 0, Murphy, lf, 3 0 1 0. Totals 29 3 7 3.

Wisconsin      000 000 100 - 1 5 0
Kernels          020 000 01x - 3 7 0

Gibbard, Wall (6), Gainey (7) and Roberts. Montanez, Muren (6), Jones (8) and Quesada. W - Montanez (3-1). L - Gibbard (3-2). S - Jones (6). HR - Walker (13), Hicks (13). T - 2:23. A - 5,631.