Bottom of the ninth with one out down by one run agains the Dayton Dragons. The Cougars wouldnt make another out, while they scored two runs and walked off with a sweep of the Dragons, and a spot as the wild card leader in the second half.
Travis Buck blooped a double to left. The left fielder, short stop and the third baseman went after the ball and just missed it. While Buck just made it into second base in front of the throw. Eddie Kim then pitch hit for designated hitter Jose Pineda. Kim would patiently take a walk. Myron Leslie then hit the first pitch he saw into the right field corner. Buck came home to tie the game. Kim chugged around third and headed for home. If the throw to the cut off man had been handled properly there may have been a big mess at the plate. The cut off man wasnt able to get the ball and Kim would score to give the Cougars a big win.
With the win the Cougars are now two games over break even for the second half, and only five games under for the season. More importantly they are in the lead for the final playoff spot, as they are a half game ahead of the Burlington Bees.
The Cougars seemed to be going to be able to roll over the Dragons for the fourth straight game, as they would get out to a eight to nothing led going into the fifth inning. They would score four in the first inning. Cliff Pennington led off with by reaching on an error by third baseman Evan Conly. Luis Perez then singled to center to move Penningotn to second. One out later, Tommy Everidge walked to load the bases. Travis Buck then hit his first profesional grand slam. The ball went out to right center. It was the Cougars fourth of the season. Plus the second one hit against the Dragons, as Herrera hit one in Dayton earlier in the year.
In the fourth inning the Cougars scored four more times. With one out, Leslie walked then stole second. David Castillo followed with a single to left to get Leslie to third. Ryan Ruiz hit one out to left field for a three run homer. It was Ruiz's second homer of the series. One out later, the Dragons brought in Ramon Ramirez to replace Camilo Vasquez. It wouldn't help. Perez greated Ramirez with a single to left. Javier Herrera then singled to left to get Perez to third. Everidge followed that with a single to left to score Perez. Buck walked to load the bases. Jose Pineda then flew out to right to end the inning.
Michael Rogers started the game for the Cougars. He pitched four out of five good innings. In the first four he gave up one hit, and got three strikeouts. In the fifth inning the roof fell in on both Rogers and the Cougars as the Dragons would score five runs.
John Purdom led off with a single to center. Jordan Belcher then singled to center to get Purdom to second. Evan Conley hit a three run home to left center to lead off the scoring for the Dragons. Two outs later, Cody Strait singled to left. Adam Rosales then singled to left to get Strait to second. Tonys Gutierrez hit a liner to left. Leftfielder Luis Perez mustve lost the ball in the lights as it just missed his glove and got past him. Strait and Rosales would score. Rogers then struck out Jeremiah Piepkorn to end the inning.
The Cougars were leading 8-5 after five innings, after being ahead 8-0. The Dragons would then score three runs in the sixth to tie the game. With one out, Belcher doubled to rightcenter. Conley then followed with another doubled to rightcenter to score Belcher. Trevor Lawhorn then tripled to leftcenter to score Conley. Jorge Mejia then put down a good one strike sucide sweeze to allow Lawhorn to score to tie the game.
Things quieted down for a couple an inning, then the Dragons would take the lead with two runs in the eighth off of Tomas Cabaniel. With one out, Belcher singled to right. Conley then reached on a fielder's choice with Belcher being out at second. Lawhorn then took a pitch out to left for a two run homer.
In the third inning the Cougars had a chance to add another run or so. Perez had led off with a single to right. Herrera then struck out. Everidge would then pop out to second for the second out. Buck then ended the inning with a ground out to second. In the seventh inning another chance down the tubes. With one out, Buck singled to center. One out later, Leslie walked. First and second with two outs. Castillo then nubbed one in front of home. Castillo was then called out for batters interference. The ball hit in fair territory, then bounced foul. My guess is that he got in the way somehow of the catcher. It would end the inning.
Derek Tharpe did a nice job in the top of the ninth to even give the Cougars a chance at winning the game in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Rosales singled to left. One out later, Piepkorn blooped one into right. The first baseman, second baseman and then right fielder were close. none of then got the ball, even though the inning should've been over. Tharpe then was able to get Purdom to pop out to second to end the inning.
Dragons
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Cody Strait |
CF |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Adam Rosales |
SS |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Tonys Gutierrez |
LF |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Jeramiah Piepkorn |
LF |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| John Purdom |
C |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Jordan Belcher |
RF |
4 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
| Evan Conley |
3B |
4 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
| Trevor Lawhorn |
2B |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Jorge Mejia |
DH |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Cougars
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Cliff Pennington |
SS |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Luis Perez |
LF |
5 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
| Javier Herrera |
CF |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Tommy Everidge |
1B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Travis Buck |
RF |
4 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| Jose Pineda |
DH |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Eddie Kim |
PH/1B |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Myron Leslie |
3B |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| David Castillo |
C |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Ryan Ruiz |
2B |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
E-Perez, Purdom, Conley, 2B-Gutierrez, Belcher, Conley, Buck, Leslie, 3B-Lawhorn, HR-Conley (Rogers), Lawhorn (Cabaniel), Buck (Vasquez), Ruiz (Vasquez), SACB-Mejia, SB-Leslie, Ruiz, CS-Mejia, Pennington
| Dayton |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
5 |
3 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
10 |
15 |
2 |
| Kane County |
|
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
11 |
13 |
1 |
Dragons
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
NP |
S |
| Camilo Vasquez |
3.2 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
19 |
4 |
4 |
74 |
48 |
| Ramon Ramirez |
3.2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
16 |
0 |
6 |
59 |
37 |
| James Morrison |
1.1+3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
L (0-5) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
33 |
19 |
Cougars
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
NP |
S |
| Michael Rogers |
5 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
22 |
4 |
6 |
102 |
65 |
| Shawn Martinez |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
15 |
12 |
| Tomas Cabaniel |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
39 |
28 |
| Derek Tharpe |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
W (2-5) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
21 |
14 |
SO-Strait, Rosaels, Gutierres, Piepkorn 2, Purdom, Mejia, Herrera 3, Pineda, Castillo, Ruiz, Kc-Pennington, BB-Everidge, Kim, Leslie 2
Random Notes-It is always nice to see former Cougars come back to the Elf. Former Cougar, Ryan Dempster came to the Elf mid way through the game and since he played here was sitting around talking to the fans. He also went up and signed autographs. The line for that was all the way out of the park...Myron Leslie had a bat slip out of his hands and land beyond the dugout in the stand. I guess it hit someone. Leslie got the bat back and continued the at bat. After the inning, he went out to the stands, and brought that fan a bat. He also shook some hands and talked between innings with the fans...Right now Terry Baumann is leading the fantasy standings by 11 points over Bob Yahr...For more info on the fantasy game go to http://malamut.net/fantasygame.html ...The Cougars now have tomorrow off and the go to Cedar Rapids for a four game series with the Kernels..
Book
Kane County Cougars
Book signing on September 1st at the Barnes and Noble at Geneva Commons.
Websites
Voice of A Season Ticket Holder
http://malamut.net
Minor League Database
http://malamut.net/minorshome
Malamut Sportscards
http://members.core.com/~malshere
Lots of new stuff
Thanks
David Malamut