Two Cedar Rapids Kernels pitchers combined efforts to no-hit the South Bend Cubs at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Monday, three years to the day since the last time the CR ballpark hosted a no-no.

Starter Edwar Colina pitched the first six innings, walking five, striking out two, and getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the 3rd. Jovani Moran pitched the last three innings, walking one, striking out one, and hitting one batter.

It wasn’t the prettiest no-hitter, but it got the job done on a night when the Kernels offense was popping. Akil Baddoo, Royce Lewis and Trey Cabbage each had three hits while Andrew Bechtold and Ben Rodriguez each drove in three runs. The Kernels scored seven of their runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.

It was the third no-hitter thrown in the Midwest League this season, and the eighth ever at 17-year-old Veterans Memorial Stadium. The previous no-hitter at The Vet took place exactly three years earlier, when Clinton LumberKings pitchers Daniel Missaki, Kody Kerski and Troy Scott combined to no-hit the Kernels. In an interesting twist pointed out by Cedar Rapids Gazette reporter Jeff Johnson, Cibney Bello was the pitching coach for Clinton three years ago and is currently the co-pitching coach for Cedar Rapids. (You can read Johnson’s game story here.)

Here is a list of the eight no-hitters pitched at Veterans Memorial Stadium, from the Kernels’ game story:

April 20, 2005 – Peoria’s Sean Gallagher, Walt Nolen, Jon Hunton – 3-2 (10 inn.) Peoria win
April 30, 2010 – Cedar Rapids’ Fabio Martinez, Kyle Hurst, Mike Kenney – 3-0 win versus Kane County
July 12, 2010 – Cedar Rapids’ Stephen Locke – 10-0 (5 inn.) win versus Peoria [Game 1 of doubleheader]
August 24, 2010 – Wisconsin’s Jake Odorizzi, Adrian Rosario – 3-0 Wisconsin win
May 28, 2011 – Kane County’s Sugar Ray Marimon, Chas Byrne – 2-0 Kane County win
April 7, 2013 – Cedar Rapids’ Tyler Duffey, Josue Montanez, Tim Atherton – 9-1 win versus Beloit
May 1, 2015 – Clinton’s Daniel Missaki, Kody Kerski, Troy Scott – 2-0 Clinton win
May 1, 2018 – Cedar Rapids’ Edwar Colina, Jovani Moran – 10-0 win versus South Bend

In another notable Midwest League game Monday, the Quad Cities River Bandits beat the Great Lakes Loons 15-2 after plating nine runs in the 1st inning — eight of them on a pair of grand slams (by Jake Adams and Jonathan Arauz).

Corey Julks also homered for the River Bandits, going deep for three runs in the 4th inning. Nick Yarnall’s two-run homer in the 6th accounted for both Loons runs.