PEORIA, Ill. - Peoria topped the Kernels, 4-1, Friday afternoon at frigid Peoria Chiefs Stadium in a Midwest League ballgame.

Temperatures were in the 30s, winds were gusting as much as 25 mph and snow flurries even fell from the sky.

Byron Buxton gave the Kernels a 1-0 lead in the third inning with an RBI triple to right-center that scored Jairo Rodriguez. That was one of only four hits the Kernels collected off Chiefs starter Kurt Heyer.

Heyer (1-0) went seven innings and struck out eight batters for the win.

The Kernels' 1-0 lead was short-lived as Peoria scored twice in the bottom of the third. Alex Mejia's RBI single scored Ildemaro Vargas, and Mejia scored on an RBI double by Jordan Walton.

The Chiefs took a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning when Walton's RBI single plated Mejia. Breyvic Valera scored from third base on Jacob Wilson's sacrifice fly.

Hudson Boyd (1-1) took the loss for the Kernels, going 4.1 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking three.

Tim Atherton pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. David Hurlbut tossed two scoreless innings for Cedar Rapids.

Zach Petrick notched his second save for Peoria, going the final two innings.

The Kernels look to avoid a three-game sweep in a 1 p.m. game on Saturday at Peoria. Lefthander Mason Melotakis (1-1, 2.89) is scheduled to pitch for Cedar Rapids.

KERNELS (1): Buxton, cf, 4 0 1 1, Pimentel, ss, 4 0 0 0, Polanco, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Hicks, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Walker, rf, 4 0 1 0, Harrison, 3b, 4 0 1 0, Leachman, dh, 4 0 1 0, Rodriguez, c, 3 1 1 0, Williams, lf, 3 0 0 0, Boyd, p, 0 0 0 0, Atherton, p, 0 0 0 0, Hurlbut, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 34 1 7 1.

PEORIA (4): Vargas, 2b, 5 1 2 0, Petrick, p, 0 0 0 0, Mejia, ss, 2 2 2 1, Valera, lf, 3 1 1 0, Walton, 1b, 3 0 2 2, Wisdom, 3b, 4 0 1 0, Wilson, dh/2b, 3 0 0 1, Swinson, cf, 4 0 2 0, Klein, s, 4 0 1 0, Popkins, rf, 4 0 0 0, Heyer, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 32 4 11 4.

Kernels     001 000 000 - 1  7 0
Peoria      002 020 00x - 4 11 0

Boyd, Atherton (5), Hurlbut (7) and Rodriguez. Heyer, Petrick (8) and Klein. W - Heyer (1-0). L - Boyd (1-1). S - Petrick (2). 2B - Leachman (1), Harrison (6), Walton (2). 3B - Buxton (2), Swinson (3). SB - Vargas (1), Mejia (2), Swinson (1). T - 2:13. A - 5,240.