Voice Of A Season Ticket Holder-Kane County Cougars by David Malamut
Danger!, Danger, Danger!, this baseball will self destruct in thirty seconds, thats just about the way the Cougars played today, they just couldn't get anything going real well, then the Kernels would up and score more runs after the Cougars attempted to comeback. Things just didn't go to well, the heartbreaker was the top of the seventh when the Kernels would score five runs and never look back. The Cougars would then score one run in the bottom of the inning but that would be all they would get.
The Kernels jumped out to a two run lead int he second, Matt Pali lead off with a walk. Matt Brown then singled to left. Caleb Maher would pop out to right. Blake Balkcom then hit a liner just over the jumping shortstop Brian Ingram and into left field for a run scoring double. Matt Abram would then take a pitch to center, to allow Brown to tag up and score the second run.
The Cougars would actually lead int his game at one point, it wouldnt last long but believe it or not, they would have the lead. In the fifth inning they would cut the Kernels lead in half, with one out Ingram singled to left. Luke Appert then grounded out to first, on the play Ingram moved to second. David Castillo then lined a double center to score Ingram.
Two runs in the sixth for the Cougars would temporarily give them the lead. Brian Snyder lead off the inning by walking. Dustin Majewski nubbed a pitch back to the pitcher, he would slip and fall, which would allow Majewski to reach saftley. Allen Buckley would then throw a first pitch wild pitch to David Harriman which would allow the runners to move along. He would be pulled after that pitch and Aaron Pullin then would come in. He would end up walking Harriman which would load the bases. Danny Gibbons hit into a double play, with Harriman also being out at second. On the play Snyder would score. Luis Perez then doubled into the left field corner to score Majewski.
Not much would go right in the next half inning for the Cougars. Tommy Duenas lead things off with a single to left. Howard Kendrick then singled to right. Sean Rodriguez would walk, which would load the bases. Brandon Wood hit a double down the left field line to score all three runners. Brigmer Leon would then come out of the game and Drew Freidberg came in. He would walk Pali. Brown singled to right to score Wood. Maher was intentionally walked to guess what, load the bases again!!! Manny Rodriguez was then brough in to pitch. Balkcom hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Pali. Abram would pop up to first for the second out. Duenas hit a long homer to left, but it went foul thankfully. He would end up striking out to finally end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh after everyone was good and stretched out, with one out David Castillo lined one off the scoreboard in left center, for his second homer of the season.
Both teams had plenty more chances to score than they actually took advantage of. In the fifth the Kernels had runners on second and third and nobody out. Duenas then reached on a fielder's choice, with Balkcom being out at the plate. Kendrick then grounded out to second for the second out. Rodriguez would be caught window shopping to end the inning. In the sixth they had the bases loaded and one out. The Cougars had just taken out their starter Jared Trout and brough in Brigmer Leon. Balkcom lined out to short, the Cougars almost had a double play at second but just couldn't turn it. Abram would then take care of things by striking out.
The Cougars had Majewski lead off the second with a double to center. Harriman struck out. Gibbons popped out to center. Perez popped out to second. In the third with two outs, Castillo walked and Kim was hit ont he hand by a pitch. Unfortuanatly Snyder would strike out to end the inning.
Play By Play
Kernels 1st Kendrick, lined out to rightfielderRodriguez, strike out, catcher to first baseman Wood, strike out looking -Trout 9p 7s
Cougars 1st Ingram, strike out Appert, lined out to leftfielder Castillo, singled to center Kim, reached on throwing error by second baseman, Castillo to second Snyder, strike out looking -Simard 18p 12s
Kernels 2nd Pali, walked Brown, single to left, Pali to second Maher, pop out to rightfielder Balkcom, double to center, Pali scored, Brown to third Abram, fly out to center, Brown tagged up and scored on the sacrifice fly Duenas, strike out -Trout 18p 10s, 27p 17s Kernels 2, Cougars 0
Cougars 2nd Majewski, double to center Harriman, strike out Gibbons, pop out to centerfielder Perez, pop out to second baseman -Simard 17p 11s, 35p 23s
Kernels 3rd Kendrick, fly out to centerfielder Rodriguez, strike out, catcher to first baseman Wood, strike out -Trout 13p 9s, 40p 26s
Cougars 3rd Ingram, strike out Appert, lined out to rightfielder Castillo, walked Kim, hit by pitch, Castillo to second Snyder, strike out -Simard 23p 12s, 58p 35s
Kernels 4th Pali, ground out first baseman to pitcher Brown, ground out pitcher to first baseman Maher, strike out -Trout 11p 7s, 51p 33s
Cougars 4th Majewski, ground out to second baseman to first baseman Harriman, strike out Gibbons, fly out to rightfielder -Simard 16p 10s, 74p 45s
Kernels 5th Balkcom, double to left Abram, bunt single to third, Balkcom to third Duenas, reach on a fielder's choice, Balkcom out at home, third baseman to catcher, Abram to second Kendrick, ground out second baseman to first baseman, Abram to third, Duenas to second Rodriguez, struck out looking -Trout 16p 12s, 67p 45s
Cougars 5th Perez, ground out second baseman to first baseman Ingram, single to left Appert, ground out to first baseman unassisted, Ingram to second Castillo, double to center, Ingram scored Pitching Change:Buckley replaces Simard Kim, fly out to centerfielder -Simard 16p 11s, 90p 56s -Buckley, 1p 1s Kernels 2, Cougars 1
Kernels 6th Wood, walked Pali, reached on error by shortstop, Wood to second -Wood to third and Pali to second on wild pitch Brown, ground out to third baseman to first baseman Maher, intentionally walked, bases loaded Pitching Change:Leon replaces Trout Balkcom, lined out to short stop Abram, strike out -Trout 15p 6s, 82p 51s -Leon, 10p 6s
Cougars 6th Snyder, walked Majewski, single to the pitcher, Snyder to second -Snyder to third and Majewski to second on wild pitch Pitching Change:Pullin replaces Buckley Harriman, walked, bases loaded Gibbons, ground into double play, Snyder scored, Majewski to third, Harriman out at second, first baseman to shortstop Perez, doubled to left, Majewski scored Ingram, ground out to second baseman to first baseman -Buckley, 18p 1s, 19p 2s -Pullin, 12p 4s Kernels 2, Cougars 3
Kernels 7th Duenas, singled to left Kendrick, singled to right, Duenas to second Rodriguez, walked, bases loaded Wood, doubled down leftfield line, Duenas, Kendrick and Rodriguez scored Pitching Change:Friedberg replaces Leon Pali, walked Brown, singled to right, Wood scored, Pali to second Maher, intentionally walked, bases loaded Pitching Change:Rodriguez replaces Friedberg Balkcom, fly out to rightfielder, Pali scored on the sacrifice fly, Brown moved to third Abram, popped up foul to first baseman Duenas, strike out -Leon 12p 7s, 22p 13s -Friedberg, 13p 3s -Rodriguez 12p 10s Kernels 7, Cougars 3
Cougars 7th Appert, flied out to rightfielder Castillo, home run off the scored in left centerfield Kim, ground out to second baseman to first baseman Snyder, struck out looking -Pullin 13p 9s, 25p 13s Kernels 7, Cougars 4
Kernels 8th Kendrick, singled to short stop Rodriguez, ground out to first baseman unassisted, Kendrick to second Wood, lined out to second baseman Pali, intentionally walked Brown, struck out looking -Rdoriguez 15p 9s, 27p 19s
Cougars 8th Pitching Change;Stertzbach replaces Pullin Majewski, ground out to short stop to first baseman Harriman, pop out to short stop Gibbons, single to left Perez, strike out -Stertzbach 17p 13s
Kernels 9th Pitching Change:Casilla replaces Rodriguez Maher, lined out to second baseman Balkcom, strike out Abram, lined out to leftfielder -Casilla 5p 5s
Cougars 9th Ingram, lined out to short stop Appert, hit by pitch Castillo, lined out to rightfielder Kim, ground out to first baseman unassisted -Stertzbach, 17p 12s, 34p 25s