SOUTH BEND, Ind. - New guys keep helping the Cedar Rapids Kernels win ballgames.

It happened again Wednesday night.

Alex Real went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs and Edgar Corcino also had two RBIs as the streaking Kernels topped South Bend, 9-5, in a Midwest League game before 3,969 fans at Four Winds Field in South Bend.

Real and Corcino joined the Kernels from Extended Spring Training recently and helped the club raise its record to 35-18, just two games behind Quad Cities in the Western Division.

Tanner English, who has been with the Kernels all season, went 2-for-5 in the leadoff spot with two runs and two RBIs. Zack Larson, also here all year, was 2-for-4.

The Kernels collected five doubles in the ballgame.

Felix Jorge surrendered a three-run homer to Gioskar Amaya in the second inning as the Kernels fell behind 4-1, but Jorge kept battling and lasted 6 2/3 innings. Luke Bard (3-0) relieved Jorge in the seventh inning and got the victory when the Kernels exploded for six runs in the eighth inning.

Cedar Rapids and South Bend (23-29) meet again Thursday night.

KERNELS (9): English, cf, 5 2 2 2, Schmit, ss, 2 1 1 0, Larson, lf, 4 0 2 1, Fernandez, 1b, 4 0 1 0, White, 3b, 4 2 0 1, Kelly, 2b, 5 1 1 0, Real, dh, 4 1 3 2, Navarreto, c, 3 0 1 0, Murphy, ph, 0 1 0 0, Doe, c, 1 0 1 0, Corcino, rf, 5 1 1 2. Totals 37 9 13 8.

SOUTH BEND (5): Burks, cf, 4 1 1 0, Torres, ss, 4 0 1 0, Ely, 2b, 5 0 0 1, Brockmeyer, 1b, 4 0 0 0, Belaguert, dh, 4 1 1 0, Vosler, 3b, 4 0 2 0, Encarnacion, rf, 3 2 2 0, Amaya, c, 4 1 1 3, Crawford, lf, 4 0 1 1. Totals 36 5 9 5.

Kernels      101 001 060 - 9 13 1
South Bend   130 000 001 - 5 9 3

Jorge, Bard (7) and Navarreto, Doe. Hedges, McNeil (7), Garner (8) and Amaya. W - Bard (3-0). L - McNeil (0-2). 2B - Real (1), Navaretto (2), Corcino (3), English (7), Larson (12), Burks (10), Crawford (2). HR - Amaya (2). SB - White (9), English (17), Burks 2 (15). E - Jorge (2), Vosler 2 (7), Torres (1). T - 2:50. A - 3,969.