PEORIA, Ill. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels scored five runs over the fourth and fifth innings and rolled to their ninth win in 10 games, downing the Peoria Chiefs, 6-1, Saturday night before a crowd of 6,166 at Dozer Park.

Max Kepler hit his eighth home run and also doubled to spearhead the Kernels' 10-hit attack. Joel Licon had a single, stretching his hitting streak to 15 games.

Hudson Boyd (4-4) pitched five innings of four-hit ball and allowed one run to pick up the win.

The Kernels talllied three times in the fourth inning. Kepler had a lead-off double and went to third on Adam Brett Walker's single. Mike Gonzales' single scored Kepler and sent Walker to third. Walker scored on a wild pitch and Licon singled home Gonzales.

Juan Herrera's RBI single in the Peoria fourth cut the Kernels' lead to 3-1.

The Kernels tallied twice in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. Jonathan Murphy singled and advanced to second on Niko Goodrum's sacrifice bunt. Murphy scored all the way from second base on a passed ball. Kepler then hit a solo home run.

The Kernels added another run in the eighth inning on Travis Harrison's RBI single.

The Kernels play at Peoria again Sunday. Game time is 5 p.m.

KERNELS (6): Murphy, cf, 4 1 2 0, Goodrum, ss, 4 0 0 0, Kepler, lf, 4 2 2 1, Walker, rf, 4 2 2 0, Gonzales, 1b, 4 1 1 1, Harrison, dh, 4 0 2 1, Licon, 3b, 3 0 1 1, Altobelli, c, 4 0 0 0, Grimes, 2b, 4 0 0 0. Totals 35 6 10 4.

PEORIA (1): McElroy, cf, 5 0 2 0, Tilson, lf, 3 0 1 0, Valera, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Schaffer, 1b, 5 0 0 0, Walton, dh, 3 1 1 0, Vargas, 3b, 3 0 1 0, Martini, rf, 4 0 0 0, Herrera, ss, 4 0 2 1, Keener, c, 4 0 0 0. Totals 35 1 8 1.

Kernels   000 320 010 - 6 10 0
Peoria     000 100 000 - 1  8 1

Boyd, Powell (6), Melotakis (8) and Altobelli. Mayers, TLee (5), Sabatino (8) and Keener. W-Boyd (4-4). L-Mayers (0-1). 2B-Kepler (9), Walker (29), McElroy (8). HR-Kepler (8). SB-Harrison (2), McElroy (6). S-Goodrum. E-Valera (15). T-2:33. A-6,166.