Kaelen Culpepper homered and drove in five runs for the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. His performance led the Kernels to an 8-1 lead over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in the final game of the six-game series.
Danny DeAndrade gave the Kernels (12-8) the lead with a one-out, solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. That was the only run allowed by Wisconsin starting pitcher Manuel Rodriguez.
Wisconsin (8-13) tied the game in the fifth inning. Hebert Pérez drew a lead-off walk and stole second. Jheremy Vargas blooped a one-out single to center to put runners at the corners. Daniel Guilarte got Pérez home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Cedar Rapids started the bottom of the fifth with a walk from reliever Dikember Sanchez. It looked like it wouldn’t be a problem as Sanchez got Jamie Ferrer to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Kevin Maitan was next, and he hit a rocket up the middle. Shortstop Jadher Areinamo made a dive for the ball and had it in his glove but couldn't hold on for what would have been a spectacular play. Sanchez would walk the Kyle Hess, the number nine batter in the Kernels order, to set the stage for Culpepper.
The #1 pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2024 draft hit a long home run, his first of the season, to left to give the Kernels a 4-1 lead.
The Kernels added an insurance run in the seventh inning as they loaded the bases with one out against Zach Peek. Kyle DeBarge hit a grounder off Peek’s leg. Peek tracked down the ball and got the out at first for the second out as the run scored for Cedar Rapids.
A three-run eighth inning by Cedar Rapids put the game away for them. Jesús Broca, Wisconsin’s fourth pitcher of the game, gave up a single and a walk to the first two batters he faced. A double steal put both runners in scoring position. Khadim Diaw drove in the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. Broca gave up a single and a walk to the next two batters before getting a strikeout on his 34th pitch of the inning.
Aaron Rund was tasked with trying to get the final out of the inning in relief of Broca. However, Culpepper lined a single to right to plate two more runs for the Kernels.
Blake Burke went 2-for-4 for half of Wisconsin’s hits in the game. Wisconsin pitchers walked seven.
The Rattlers missed on the chance to win their first series of the season. They had won three in a row after dropping the first two games of the six-game set with Cedar Rapids. Wisconsin had to settle for their second series split of the year.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday at Neuroscience Group Field with game one of a six-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps. Ryan Birchard (0-2, 3.55) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Whitecaps have named Max Alba (0-1, 4.85) as their probable starter. Game time is 6:40pm.
