COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels tallied four runs in the first inning, added two more in the ninth and salvaged the third game of their series against the West Michigan Whitecaps with an 8-6 win Friday at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Kernels (19-7) had lost the first two games of the series.

The Kernels first five batters reached base in the first inning. Jorge Polanco, Dalton Hicks and Adam Brett Walker had RBI singles and another scored on a wild pitch.

West Michigan came back with three runs in its half of the first, but the Whitecaps never caught the Kernels.

Cedar Rapids tallied twice more in the fourth inning on Niko Goodrum's two-run single.

West Michigan added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to pull within 6-5.

Polanco's two-run double in the top of the ninth gave the Kernels an 8-5 lead.

Those runs proved necessary in the bottom of the ninth when Devon Travis homered with two outs to close the gap to 8-6.

West Michigan got the tying run to the plate after Jeff Holm's sinking liner was ruled a hit after originally being signaled as a diving catch by center fielder Byron Buxton that would have ended the game. Kernels Manager Jake Mauer was ejected while protesting the change in the ruling.

Jake Stewart flied out to end the game.

Polanco and Jhonatan Arias had three hits apiece for the Kernels. Polanco had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs.

Mason Melotakis (2-1) scattered eight hits over six innings and earned the win for the Kernels. Manuel Soliman fanned four in 1.2 innings and David Hurlbut went the final 1.1 innings for his second save.

Endrys Briceno (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs in six innings.

The Kernels open a three-game series at South Bend on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. Tyler Duffey (3-1) is scheduled to start for the Kernels.

KERNELS (8): Buxton, cf, 4 2 1 0, Goodrum, ss, 3 1 1 2, Polanco, dh, 5 1 3 3, Hicks, 1b, 5 1 1 1, Walker, rf, 5 0 2 1, Harrison, 3b, 3 1 0 0, Pimentel, 2b, 3 1 0 0, Arias, c, 4 0 3 0, Williams, pr, 0 1 0 0, Rodriguez, c, 0 0 0 0, Jimenez, lf, 4 0 0 0, Melotakis, p, 0 0 0 0, Soliman, p, 0 0 0 0, Hurlbut, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 36 8 11 7.

WEST MICHIGAN (6): Gonzalez, ss, 5 1 1 0, Reaves, 2b, 5 1 1 0, Travis, dh, 5 1 2 1, Holm, 1b, 4 0 1 1, Stewart, rf-cf, 4 2 1 0, Kirksey, lf-rf, 4 1 2 2, Pickar, c, 3 0 1 0, Martinez, 3b, 4 0 2 1, Schotts, cf, 1 0 0 0, Vasquez, lf, 3 0 0 0, Briceno, p, 0 0 0 0, Felix, p, 0 0 0 0, Ehlers, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 38 6 11 5.

Kernels               400 200 002 - 8 11 2
West Michigan    300 001 011 - 6 11 1

Melotakis, Soliman (7), Hurlbut (8) and Arias, Rodriguez (9). Briceno, Felix (7), Ehlers (9) and Pickar. W - Melotakis (2-1). L - Briceno (0-2). Sv - Hurlbut (2). 2B - Polanco 2 (8), Arias (1), Martinez (5). HR - Kirksey (2), Travis (5). SB - Buxton (11), Walker (1). E - Harrison 2 (8), Pickar (2). T - 2:44. A - 5,249.