LocalSportsJournal.com

The West Michigan Whitecaps stayed above the .500 mark in the young season with an 8-3 victory over the host Cedar Rapids Kernels on LSJ Logo incertWednesday.

West Michigan is now 10-9 after trading victories with Cedar Rapids in the first two games of the series. The rubber game with the Kernels is scheduled for tonight.

The game was tied 2-2 after the second inning. The Whitecaps broke open it with a four-run outburst with two outs in the third to take a 6-2 lead.

Jose Azocar started the rally with an RBI single, Steven Fuentes followed with a two-run triple and later scored on David Gonzalez’s run-scoring single. Will Allen and catcher Shane Zeile each drove in runs in the fourth inning to stretch the Caps’ lead to 8-2.

Whitecaps starter Jordan Smith (2-0) allowed three runs in five innings to pick up his second victory of the season, while Kernels pitcher Andro Cutura (2-1) gave up all eight runs in four frames to take his first loss of 2016.

Allen led West Michigan’s offense with three hits and a pair of runs batted in.