EASTLAKE, Ohio - Jonathan Murphy homered and drove in three runs to power the Cedar Rapids Kernels past the Lake County Captains, 9-7, Thursday night in Midwest League baseball.

The Kernels (18-8) reclaimed first place in the Western Division by themselves when Beloit was beaten by Dayton, 7-6.

Murphy had three hits to lead the Kernels' 12-hit attack. He also had a double. Jorge Polanco had two hits and drove in two runs.

Lake County (13-13) hit four home runs, but three of them were solo. Joseph Sever was 3-for-4 with four RBIs for the Captains.

Josue Montanez (4-2) scattered seven hits over six innings and struck out six to notch the win for the Kernels. Madison Boer gave up two hits, but struck out two and pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save.

Murphy's first home run of the season gave the Kernels a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

The Kernels sent 10-men to the plate and scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to erase a 2-1 Lake County lead. Murphy had a two-run single, and Polanco and Jeremias Pineda had RBI singles. Jairo Rodriguez had a sacrifice fly.

Tyler Grimes' RBI single in the seventh inning pushed the Kernels' lead to 7-5. Polanco's sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Adam Brett Walker plated two runs for the Kernels in the eighth inning and boosted their lead to 9-6.

The Kernels close out the three-game series against Lake County Friday night at 6 p.m. (Iowa time).

KERNELS (9): Murphy, cf, 5 3 3 3, Goodrum, ss, 5 0 1 0, Polanco, 2b, 3 0 2 2, Walker, rf, 5 1 2 1, Kepler, 1b, 3 2 1 0, Harrison, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Grimes, dh, 3 1 1 1, Rodriguez, c, 4 0 1 1, Pineda, lf, 4 2 1 1. Totals 35 9 12 9.

LAKE COUNTY (7): Hankins, lf, 4 0 0 0, Paulino, ss, 5 0 0 0, Vick, cf, 3 3 1 0, Sever, 1b, 4 1 3 4, Gonzalez, 3b, 5 0 2 0, Lucas, c, 5 1 2 1, Santander, rf, 5 1 1 1, Hamilton, dh, 4 0 2 0, Medina, 2b, 4 1 1 1. Totals 39 7 12 7.

Kernels         001 500 120 - 9 12 2
Lake County  002 012 110 - 7 12 0

Montanez, Boyd (7), Boer (9) and Rodriguez. DeJesus, Stokes (6), Sterling (8) and Lucas. W-Montanez (4-2). L-DeJesus (3-10). Sv-Boer (1). 2B-Murphy (3), Sever (12), Vick (19), Gonzalez (19). HR-Murphy (1), Sever (5), Lucas (4), Medina (1), Santander (5). SF-Rodriguez, Polanco. SB-Pineda (8), Vick (19). E-Kepler (2), Pineda (4). T-3:04. A-2,708.