BELOIT, Wis. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels edged the Beloit Snappers, 6-5, Sunday before 804 fans at Pohlman Field in the opener of a three-game Midwest League series.

Bryan Haar and Jason Kanzler both homered and J.D. Williams collected three hits.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Kernels. The two teams meet for a Memorial Day matinee at 2 p.m. Monday.

Haar's home run in the eighth inning broke a 5-5 tie and gave the Kernels a 6-5 lead. Haar's seventh home run of the season led off the inning and was blasted to deep left field.

Todd Van Steensel went the final two innings for his third save in three opportunities. Van Steensel retired the first five batters he faced before back-to-back singles with two outs in the ninth inning put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Van Steensel then got a lineout to short, ending the game.

Jared Wilson (1-0) pitched well in relief and picked up the win. He went two scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two and walking one.

Wilson has not allowed an earned run in his first seven innings as a Kernel. Matt Stalcup (0-1) suffered the loss for Beloit, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits in two innings.

The Kernels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Williams doubled into the left-center field gap, moved to third base on Tanner Vavra's groundout and scored on Chad Christensen's RBI single into shallow right field.

The Snappers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-1 advantage.

Cedar Rapids fought back with a pair of runs in the second inning to tie the game 3-3. Kanzler led off the frame with his fifth home run of the season and third since Wednesday's game when he was activated from the disabled list.

The long-ball went just to the left of dead-center field and extended his hitting streak to 10 games, matching Christensen for the longest hitting streak of the season. Bo Altobelli was hit by a pitch following the home run and reached second base after a walk to Joel Licon.

Altobelli came home to tie the game on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Williams, his second hit in two at-bats.

The Kernels went in front 4-3 in the fourth inning. Kanzler led off the inning with a sharp single into center field. Altobelli walked, moving Kanzler to second base. Engelb Vielma laced an RBI double into right-center to plate Kanzler and give the Kernels the lead.

Beloit took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, forcing the Kernels to rally again.

Josue Montanez started for the Kernels and pitched five innings. He allowed five runs on six hits while striking out two and walking four.

The Kernels tied the game 5-5 in the seventh inning. With one out, Williams smacked a solid single into center field for his third hit of the game. Vavra singled to put two runners on. Williams scored on a throwing error by Snappers second baseman Sam Roberts as Beloit tried to turn a double play.

Kohl Stewart (1-1, 2.21) gets the start for the Kernels on Monday.

The Kernels return home on Wednesday against Wisconsin at 6:35 p.m.

KERNELS (6): Williams, dh, 5 2 3 1, Vavra, 2b, 5 0 2 0, Christensen, rf, 5 0 1 1, Garver, c, 5 0 1 0, Haar, 3b, 4 1 1 1, Kanzler, cf, 4 2 2 1, Altobelli, 1b, 2 1 1 0, Licon, lf, 3 0 0 0, Vielma, ss, 4 0 1 1. Totals 37 6 12 5.

BELOIT (5): Powell, cf, 5 2 2 0, Mercedes, ss, 4 2 1 0, Marincov, rf, 4 1 1 0, Vollmuth, 1b, 3 0 1 1, Pan, dh, 4 0 2 3, Baez, 3b, 3 0 0 1, Roberts, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Boyd, lf, 3 0 0 0, Pohl, c, 3 0 0 0. Totals 33 5 8 5.

Kernels    120 100 110 - 6 12 2
Beloit     300 020 000 - 5 8 1

Montanez, Wilson (6), Van Steensel (8) and Garver. Trivino, Mendez 95), Stalcup (7), Hollstegge (9) and Pohl. W - Wilson (1-0). L - Stalcup (0-1). S - Van Steensel (3). 2B - Williams (6), Vielma (4), Pan 6). HR - Kanzler (5), Haar (7). SB - Christensen (13), Boyd (6). E - Altobelli (1), Garver (3), Roberts (3). T - 2:59. A - 804.