The 3,329 fans that attended “Wedding Crasher Night" at Veterans Memorial Stadium heard both bride and groom say “I do” during a pre-game wedding ceremony, but in the end the happy couple may have been just about the only people on the field Saturday that did not strike out.
The Kernels and visiting Burlington Bees combined to fan 25 times as the Bees withstood a late Cedar Rapids rally to edge the home team, 7-6.
In a precursor of what was to come on the night, Kernels losing pitcher Josue Montanez (1-3) struck out the side in the first inning, but those three strikeouts were scattered among two Bees hits and two Kernels infield errors, all of which resulted in three unearned runs for the visitors before the home team got to pick up a bat.
The Kernels pulled within 3-2 with a pair of runs in their half of the third inning.
With Joel Licon on third base and Engelb Vielma on first, Bees pitcher Ryan Etsell threw to first in an attempt to pick off Vielma. Vielma broke for second base and while the Bees had him in a rundown, Licon broke for home and scored. Vielma got back safely to first base.
Vielma advanced to second on Chad Christensen’s subsequent walk and scored the second Kernels run on Mitch Garver’s RBI single.
Montanez was victimized for another unearned run in the fourth inning when Bees outfielder Ranyelmy Mendoza reached on another Kernels error to lead off the inning and later came around to score the Bees’ fourth run.
Montanez took personal responsibility for recording nine of the 12 Bees outs during his four innings of work, striking out a season-high seven batters and fielding a pair of comeback grounders for outs as well.
It’s a good thing, too, because a lot of baseballs were bouncing off his fielders’ gloves. The Kernels committed three errors, all leading to runs, and had a number of other balls ricocheting off the gloves of diving defenders.
Kernels Manager Jake Mauer was understandably disappointed with his club’s performance.
“We don’t catch the ball at first base, don’t catch a ball in the outfield, don’t catch the ball at third base,” lamented Mauer.
“Now, all of a sudden you’ve thrown 90 pitches through four (innings). Not too good.
“It didn’t have to be that. We catch the ball and make routine plays, he (Montanez) doesn’t have to exit in the fourth. It just messes everything up.”
Burlington added three runs off Kernels reliever Alex Muren to stretch its lead to 7-2 through six innings.
The Cedar Rapids bats finally woke up late in the game and Bryan Haar struck the big blow for the Kernels with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning. Haar then scored on a Jason Kanzler single to pull the Kernels within 7-6.
In total, Kernels pitchers Montanez, Muren and Felix Jorge recorded 12 strikeouts, but gave up four extra base hits to go with the three Kernels fielding errors.
Vielma and Christensen each had a pair of hits and were the only Kernels hitters with more than one.
Cedar Rapids and Burlington continue the series Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium with a game scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
BURLINGTON (7): Eaves, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Hinshaw, cf, 5 2 2 0, Fish, lf, 5 1 3 1, Aguilera, 1b, 5 1 1 0, Rosa, 3b, 4 1 1 2, Dionicio, 3b, 1 0 0 0, Bayardi, dh, 4 1 1 1, Mendoza, rf, 4 1 0 1, McGee, c, 3 0 0 0, Salcedo, ss, 4 0 1 1. Totals 39 7 10 6.
KERNELS (6): Vielma, ss, 4 2 2 0, Vavra, 2b, 45 0 1 0, Christensen, rf, 4 1 2 0, Garver, c, 3 1 1 1, Haar, 3b, 4 1 1 3, Kanzler, cf, 4 0 1 1, Quesada, dh, 4 0 0 0, Altobelli, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Licon, lof, 4 1 1 0. Totals 36 6 10 5.
Burlington 300 121 000 - 7 10 0
Kernels 002 000 040 - 6 10 3
Etsell, Gordon (8), Busenitz (8) and McGee. Montanez, Muren (5), Jorge (8) and Garver. W - Etsell (4-1). L - Montanez (1-3). S - Busenitz (6). 2B - Rosa (12), Fish (12), Christensen (8). 3B - Bayardi (1), Fish (6), Haar (3). SB - Salcedo (7), Eaves (15), Licon (3). E - Haar 2 (9), Altobelli (2). T - 2:59. A - 3,329.
