MIDLAND, Mich. - The Kernels topped the Great Lakes Loons, 5-3, Wednesday night before 974 fans at Dow Diamond.

Aaron Slegers led the way with his second consecutive strong start and the Kernels tallied the first run of the game for the first time in 2014.

Slegers (1-0) went six innings in the win, allowing only a single run on four hits. He struck out six and walked none. In two starts this season, the 6-foot-10 righthander has struck out a combined 11 hitters and walked none.

The Kernels (3-3) scored first in a game for the first time this season by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. The team had fallen behind in all of the previous five games this year.

Mitch Garver powered a two-run home run over the wall in left field to put Cedar Rapids up by a pair. The shot scored Michael Quesada, who had walked to begin the inning.

Cedar Rapids extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. Garver again started the scoring when he doubled off the left-field wall and came home on a two-out, infield RBI single by Tanner Vavra. Vavra then scored on Engelb Vielma's RBI single into left-center.

Great Lakes got on the board in the fourth inning with back-to-back doubles by Jacob Scavuzzo and Kyle Farmer, making the score 4-1.

The Kernels added a run in the eighth inning, increasing their lead to 5-1. Logan Wade tripled into the right-field corner to start the inning and later came home on Bryan Haar's RBI groundout.

After Slegers left after six innings, Brandon Bixler pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Kernels. The left-hander went two scoreless and hitless innings, allowing two walks and striking out two.

Hudson Boyd pitched the ninth inning and allowed two runs as the Loons cut the Kernels' lead to 5-3. After a walk and a single, Alex Santana plated two runs with a two-out double down the left field line. However, Boyd got Brandon Trinkwon to pop out and end the game.

Jonathan Martinez (0-1) took the loss for Great Lakes, allowing four runs over five innings. He struck out four and walked three.

The Kernels conclude the three-game series at Great Lakes, the Midwest League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Thursday at 11:05 a.m. The Kernels play at Lansing beginning on Friday.

The Kernels are scheduled to send Ryan Eades (0-1, 5.79) to the mound while Great Lakes is scheduled to start Zachary Bird (0-1, 6.75).

KERNELS (5): Pineda, cf, 4 0 1 0, Wade, 3b, 5 1 2 0, Larson, rf, 3 0 0 0, Haar, 1b, 4 0 0 0, Quesada, c, 3 1 1 1, Garver, dh, 4 2 2 1, Christensen, lf, 4 0 1 0, Vavra, 2b, 3 1 2 0, Vielma, ss, 4 0 1 0. Totals 34 5 10 2.

GREAT LAKES (3): Holland, dh, 4 0 0 0, Scavuzzo, cf, 4 1 1 1, Farmer, c, 4 0 1 1, Hoenecke, 3b, 2 1 0 0, Curletta, rf, 4 1 1 0, Chigbogu, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Santana, lf, 3 0 1 1, Trinkwon, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Moyer, ss, 3 0 0 0. Totals 32 3 6 3.

Kernels       020 200 010 - 5 10 1
Great Lakes 000 100 002 - 3  6 0

Slegers, Bixler (7), Boyd (9) and Quesada. Martinez, Arano (6), Johnson (8) and Farmer. W - Slegers (1-0). L - Martinez (1-1). 2B - Garver (2), Quesada (4), Scavuzzo (4), Farmer (1), Santana (1). 3B - Wade (1). HR - Garver (2). SB - Vielma (1), Holland (6). E - Vavra. A - 974.