DAVENPORT – It was far from their best effort of the young season, but when the plays needed to be made, the Cedar Rapids Kernels came through.

Dalton Hicks atoned for what could have been a critical error in the bottom of the eighth with a run-scoring double as a part of a two-run 11th inning as the Kernels blanked Quad Cities, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park.

The momentum carried over for the Kernels in Game 2.

They scored four runs in the top of the first and cruised to the sweep, taking the seven-inning nightcap, 5-1.

The sweep allowed the Kernels (23-9) to head off to Saturday night's game in Beloit with a four-game lead over the River Bandits in the Western Division of the Midwest League.

“That first one took a lot longer than it should have,” said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. “We had our chances and they had their chances.

"Our pitching was outstanding. We shut them out for (17 2/3 innings). You can’t complain at all about that.”

Hicks could have been the goat after he dropped a throw on a sacrifice bunt in the eighth to give the River Bandits a two-on, nobody-out situation. But the Kernels worked out of that jam and a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the 10th to set the stage for the winning rally in the 11th.

Jorge Polanco started the winning effort in the 11th with a one-out single to left. That brought Hicks to the plate and he lined a shot just inside the left-field line, allowing Polanco to score all the way from first.

“He got the big hit we needed,” Mauer said. “Then we added the extra run and that made it a little easier in the bottom of the 11th.”

Adam Brett Walker brought home that insurance run with a double to almost the same spot, plating Hicks for the two-run lead.

Tim Atherton (2-1), who came on to get two outs in the 10th with the bases loaded, pitched a perfect 11th to gain the win.

Cedar Rapids got outstanding pitching in the opener, allowing just six hits. Starter Hudson Boyd didn’t allow a hit through the first 4 1/3 innings and gave up just two hits in six innings.

Walker went 3-for-5 while Hicks and Polanco had two hits each.

The Kernels lashed out six hits in the first inning of the nightcap. Niko Goodrum had a one-out triple to start the inning. After Polanco followed with a bloop single, Hicks, Travis Harrison and Tyler Grimes came through with doubles to cap off the four-run frame.

They added their final run in the second as Harrison banged an RBI triple, scoring Walker.

Kernels starter Mason Melotakis (3-1) was almost as good as Boyd was in the opener. He went 5 1/3 innings and allowed just three singles.

“He was outstanding for us,” Mauer said of his lefty. “He was sharp and kept them off-balance. Hudson Boyd was just as good in the opener.”

The Kernels could have left Davenport tied for the division lead if they had been swept. Instead they will continue their road trip with their lead doubled.

“It’s a nice thing, but there are an awful lot of games left to play,” Mauer said. “We will see them again and we will see all the other teams in our division again. They are all playing a lot better so we will have to continue to keep improving.”

GAME 1

KERNELS (2): Buxton, cf, 4 0 0 0, Goodrum, dh, 4 0 0 0, Polanco, ss, 4 1 2 0, Hicks, 1b, 4 1 2 1, Walker, rf, 5 0 3 1, Harrison, 3b, 5 0 0 0, Jimenez, lf, 5 0 0 0, Arias, c, 2 0 0 0, Grimes, ph/c, 2 0 0 0, Pimentel, 2b, 3 0 1 0. Totals 38 2 8 2.

QUAD CITIES (0): Hernandez, cf, 4 0 0 0, Correa, ss, 3 0 0 0, Elkins, 2b, 5 0 0 0, Wierzbicki, 1b, 4 0 0 0, Hamblin, dh, 2 0 0 0, Blasik, ph/dh, 3 0 1 0, Ruiz, 3b, 5 0 0 0, Pena, c, 5 0 1 0, Ovando, rf, 4 0 1 0, Joyce, pr/rf, 0 0 0 0, Scott, lf, 4 0 3 0. Totals 39 0 6 0.

Kernels        000 000 000 02 - 2 8 2
Quad Cities 000 000 000 00 - 0 6 1

Boyd, Gruver (7), Atherton (10) and Arias, Grimes. Fields, Cotton (3), Neely (7), Lamb (8), Lambson (11) and Pena. W - Atherton (2-1). L - Lamb (1-2). 2B - Hicks (10), Walker (8). SB - Walker (3). E - Polanco (3), Hicks (4), Correa (4). T - 3:11.

GAME 2

KERNELS (5): Buxton, cf, 4 0 0 0, Goodrum, 3b, 4 1 2 0, Polanco, ss, 4 1 1 1, Hicks, 1b, 4 1 1 1, Walker, rf, 3 1 2 0, Harrison, dh, 3 1 2 2, Grimes, c, 3 0 1 1, Pimentel, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Williams, lf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 31 5 10 5.

QUAD CITIES (1): Hernandez, cf, 4 0 1 0, Blasik, ss, 3 0 1 0, Elkins, 2b, 1 0 0 0, Wierzbicki, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Dineen, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Pena, dh, 2 1 1 0, Joyce, rf, 3 0 1 0, Morales, c, 3 0 0 0, Scott, lf, 1 0 0 0. Totals 22 1 4 1.

Kernels        401 000 0 - 5 10 0
Quad Cities  000 000 1 - 1 4 0

Melotakis, Burris (6) and Grimes. Velasquez, Sanchez (5) and Morales. W - Melotakis (3-1). L - Velasquez (3-1). 2B - Hicks (11), Harrison (10), Grimes (4). 3B - Goodrum (1), Walker (2). SB - Hernandez (10). T - 2:02. A - 2,003.