Cougars New Slugging Lineup Knocks Out 16 Hits, and Wins In 10
Peoria Chiefs at Kane County Cougars
April 5th, 2001
Phillip B. Elfstrom Stadium, Geneva, Illinios
Opening day has finally arrived, six months of no fun and it rains
throughout the game. My scorecard is a little wet but thankfully I
still can read it, I think.
The Cougars had Marc Sauer start for them, Marc is the only Cougars
pitcher from last years team to make all his starts, and he starts
on opening day. He looked pretty good, I think he might have dropped
his arm angle, but i'm not exactly sure. His first inning went one,
two, three. In the second inning he got into trouble and just wasn't
able to get out of it, giving up two runs on three hits. He settled
down in the third after the leadoff hitter, Ken Morris, lead it off
with a bunt single. The fourth inning was back to struggling for
Sauer. He calmed down in the fifth and allowed only a single before
retiring the side.
The Cougars were kind of shaky on defense, 17 year old shortstop
Miguel Cabrera made two errors. Firstbaseman Adrian Gonzalez also had
some trouble with throws from other infielders.
This season will be fun from the looks of things offensivly speaking.
Adrian Gonzalez had a huge day going four for five, with two doubles and
two singles. He also had two RBI's. Gonzalez hit some real shots to all
sides of the outfield. Josh Willingham also had three hits with three hits
all to the left side of the field, all singles. Chip Ambres,
Pat Magness and Kevin Hooper all had two hits apiece.
The Cougars made the day great when Chip Ambres hit a walk-off home
run in the bottom of the tenth to win the game.
Hansel Izquierdo and Randy Messenger both pitched well out of the
bullpen. Going a combined 3 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 1 k. Chris Key had
some problems in this game going two innings, giving up two hits and two runs,
he did not walk anybody and the positive was that he struck out three. Key
gave up a home run.
A little side note, I like Ozzie's new uni, The sleevless look, but he
needs a raincoat for this kind of weather, cause his fur got soggy
The scoring started for the Chiefs with one out in the second when
Landon Brades singled to left. Aneuris Diaz then singled to center, to
make it runners on first and second with only one out. Tim Lemon then
doubled down the line in the left to score both Brades and Diaz, to give
the Chiefs a two to nothing lead.
The Cougars struck back in the third when Kevin Hooper lead it off
with a double to right. One out later, Will Smith singled to right to
make it first and second with one out. Adrian Gonzalez then doubled to
center to score Hooper. Jim Kavourias hit a grounder to third, The thirdbaseman
Anueris Diaz got Smith hung up in a rundown between home and
third. Gonzalez was standing on third when Smith slide back into third,
Gonzalez was called out. Pat Magness then came up and stroked a doubled
to right to score Smith and Kavourias to give the Cougars a three to two
lead.
The fourth inning saw another Chief cross home plate when, Landon
Brandes doubled to left. Aneuris Diaz followed that up with his own
double this time to center to score Brandes. Centerfielder Chip Ambres
made a nice throw from deep center to get Diaz at third going for a
triple.
The rains came and there went the fielding, in the fifth inning.
Will Smith lead off the inning reaching on an error by second baseman
Sandy Santana. Smith followed by stealing second base. Adrian Gonzalez
then doubled to right to drive home Smith. Jim Kavourias got on base
with a dropped third strike/wild pitch combo, that also let Gonzalez go
to third. One out later, Miguel Cabrera singled to left to drive home
Gonzalez to make the score five to three Cougars.
The Cougars added one more in the sixth when Josh Willingham led off
the inning with an infield single to shortstop Dan Firlit. Hooper then
singled to center. Ambres came up and also singled to center to load the
bases with no body out for Will Smith. Smith grounded out to third, on
the play Willingham scored. The inning ended with Gonzalez grounding out
to the first baseman unassisted, and Kavourias flying to center.
The Chiefs scratched away at the lead a little in the seventh when
with one out Sandy Santana reached on a thrwoing error by Miguel Cabrera.
Santana reached second on the play. Dan Firlit then singled to cneter.
Ken Morris grounded into a fielder's choice when then Cougars just could
not turn the double play. On the play Santana scored.
Eighth inning, Chris Key came on to pitch, John Gall leads off the
inning with a single to right. Ryan Hamill then hits a two run home run to
left center.
Randy Messenger came on in the tenth and got the first hitter, Mike
Floyd to pop up to Cabrera. John Gall then singled to right. Ryan Hamill
walked. Landon Brandes gorunded out to third. Anueris Diaz then grounded
out to short to end the inning. Messenger did a good job getting out of the
jam.
In the bottom of the inning, Kevin Hooper lead it off with a groundout
to the shortstop. Chip Ambres then came up and hit one over the left
centerfield wall to give the Cougars a win.
Cheifs
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Ken Morris |
CF |
5 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| Mike Floyd |
LF |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| John Gall |
1B |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Ryan Hamill |
C |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Landon Brandes |
DH |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| Aneuris Diaz |
3B |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| Tim Lemon |
RF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Sandy Santana |
2B |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Dan Firlit |
SS |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Cougars
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Chip Ambres |
CF |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| Will Smith |
LF |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| Adrian Gonzalez |
1B |
5 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
| Jim Kavourias |
RF |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Pat Magness |
DH |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Matt Easterday |
PR |
|
0 |
| Miguel Cabrera |
SS |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Dominic Woody |
C |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Josh Willingham |
3B |
5 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
| Kevin Hooper |
2B |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
E-Diaz, Santana, Cabrera, Izquierdo, LOB-Chiefs-7, Cougars-12, RLISP-Chiefs-5, Cougars-8, 2B-Brandes, Diaz, Lemon, Gonzalez 2, Magness, Hooper, HR-Hamill (1)(Key), Ambres (1)(PonceDeLeon), RBI-Morris, Hamill 2, Diaz, Lemon 2, Ambres, Smith, Gonzalez 2, Magness 2, Cabrera, SACB-Cabrera, SB-Morris, Smith, CS-Firlit, DP-Smith (Axelson)(3-6-3), Woody 2 (Axelson)(6-4-3) (Cook)(5-4-3)
| Peoria |
|
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
6 |
11 |
2 |
| Kane County |
|
|
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
|
|
7 |
16 |
2 |
Chiefs
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
| Josh Axelson |
5 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
ND |
1 |
0 |
1 |
22 |
25 |
4 |
3 |
| Chet Medlock |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
| Jeremy Cook |
1.2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
| Carmen Cali |
1.1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
Damon Ponce DeLeon
| 0.1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
L (0-1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Cougars
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
| Marc Sauer |
5 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
21 |
6 |
5 |
| Hansel Izquierdo |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
| Chris Key |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
| Randy Messenger |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
W (1-0) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
HB-Woody (Axelson), SO-Morris, Floyd 2, Hamill, Lemon, Santana, Firlit, Ambres, Kavourias 2, Magness, Cabrera, Woody, Willingham, BB-Hamill, Ambres, Smith, Easterday, Hooper
Notes-Miguel Cabrera did have a great sacrifice bunt in the ninth
Thank You
David Malamut
email-dmalshere1@yahoo.com
website-www.megsinet.com/malshere