Clinton LumberKings Defeat Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-6 - A, Midwest League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – Clinton, IA – For the second straight night, second-baseman Renny Osuna put the team on his back and carried his Clinton LumberKings to a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 10 innings.  Osuna brought the Kings back from a four-run deficit with a two-run triple and legged out an infield single to score the winning run in the top of the 10th.
 
The Kernels, who had been shut out in each of the previous two games against Kane County, greeted right-hander Blake Beavan rudely in the first inning.  Designated-hitter Clay Fuller stroked a lead-off triple to the deepest part of the field, and came home a batter later on Andrew Romine’s sacrifice fly.  Two batters later, Efren Navarro golfed a pitch over the fence in left-center, putting Cedar Rapids in front, 2-0.
 
Beavan served up two more home runs, a solo blast by Jeremy Moore to lead off the second, and a two-run shot by light-hitting Julio Perez in the third.  An error by third-baseman Jonathan Greene plated Moore as the Kernels built a 6-2 lead.
 
Osuna and the Kings began climbing out in the sixth.  Kernels’ lefthander Trevor Reckling walked Justin Pickett, and after a wild pitch, Miguel Alfonzo drove Pickett home to cut the deficit in half.  With two on and two outs, Osuna then lifted a soft liner to shallow right field.  Perez broke on the ball and attempted a sliding play, but the ball got by him and to the wall.  Both Alfonzo and Engel Beltre raced around to score.
 
Clinton tied the game an inning later.  Greene led off the seventh with a single against right-hander Brian Chambers, and a double by Mitch Moreland put runners at second and third.  After Pickett’s ground-out to the drawn-in infield failed to advance either runner, Carlos Dominguez dropped a flare into center, plating Greene.  Chambers (BS, 1) then settled down, striking out both Alfonzo and Andres James to end the threat.
 
The LumberKings’ pen kept things scoreless after Beavan’s early exit.  Right-hander Ryan Tatusko yielded only a hit and a walk while striking out four over 3.0 innings, and righty Fabio Castillo walked one and struck out one over 2.0 scoreless frames.
 
Both teams traded scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, before the Kings broke through in the 10th.  Facing Kernels’ closer Ryan Brasier (L, 0-3), Beltre smoked a two-out triple just inside the first base bag.  Osuna then hit a grounder destined for center field, but shortstop Romine tracked it down behind second base.  His throw to first was on the money, but a second late as Osuna was called safe by base umpire Joe Hannigan.  Beltre came home on the play, giving Clinton their first and only lead of the night.
 
Right-hander Hector Nelo walked Jay Brossman to start the bottom of the 10th, and Navarro’s sac bunt moved him into scoring position.  Nelo (W, 1-1) then reached back for a little extra, striking out Perez looking and Moore swinging to end the game.
 
Osuna’s 4-for-6 performance tied his season-high for hits and also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.  The second-baseman also added three RBI, raising his season total to 27.
 
Moore led all Kernels’ hitters, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

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