Kane County Cougars at West Michigan WhiteCaps
September 18th, 2004
Round 3, Game 4
Kane County at West Michigan
E-Spanos, Harriman, LOB-Cougars-18, Caps-19, RLISP-Cougars-12, Caps-11, 2B-Kim, McKinney, HR-Putnam (Martinez), Spanos (Rodriguez), Castillo (DeLaCruz), Sanchez (Fyvie), RBI-Spanos, Putnam, Robnett, Castillo 3, Kim, Sanchez, McKinney, Blue, Knoeder 2, SACF-Knoedler , SACB-Rogers, Harriman, Castillo, Kim, Sanchez, CS-Knoedler, DP-Rogers (Tomey)(4-6-3), McKinney (Dunwell)(5-4-3)
HB-Spanos (DeLaCruz), McKinney (Dunwell), IBB-Blue (Leon), Hunt (Trout), SO-Ingram 2, Rogers 2, Tritle, Appert, Spanos, Putnam 2, Brown 2, Robnett, Harriman 2, Wayment 2, Francia 2, McIntyre 2, Hunt 2, Kirkland 2, Blue, Knoedler 2, Rodland 2, BB-Ingram 4, Rogers, Putnam, Brown 2, Robnett 2, Harriman, Hunt 2, Kirkland 2, McKinney 2, Blue, Knoelder, Rodland
Tomorrow
Cougars-Trent Peterson
Whitecaps-Dan Zell
What a great game, the game went 16 innings and took over five and a half hours to play. By the end of the game I was physically exhausted due to yelling and screaming for the Cougars.
The Cougars won the game with two, two run homers in extra innings to win the game and force a deciding game five for the Midwest League Championship tomorrow.
The two teams combined for 12 runs and 31 hits, only three errors made the game seem very well played. The Cougars did stuff they hadnt done much all season. They put down four sacrifice bunts in the span of ten innings. None of those bunts would eventually lead to any runs being scored in those innings.
The Cougars had a chance to score in the top of the first. Brian Ingram led off with a single to third. Two outs later, Vasili Spanos singled to left. Dan Putnam then grounded out to second to end the inning. In the second, Trevor Brown and Rich Robnett both walked. I dont know exactly what Brown was thinking but while David Harriman was up he wondered off second and was picked off by the catcher. Harriman struck out. Eddie Kim would then pop out to left to end the inning.
More fun in the third inning as Ingram led off with a walk. Nick Rogers bunted him to second. Luke Appert grounded out to second to get Ingram to third with two outs. Spanos poped out to left to end the inning.
Putnam led off the fourth inning with a shot to right to give the Cougars the lead. One out later, Robnett singled to center. One more out later, Kim doubled to right to score Robnett. Ingram would strike out to end the inning.
In the fifth the Cougars would score once, but could've scored more. Rogers led off with a walk. One out later Spanos singled to left. Putnam then walked to load the bases. The Whitecaps would then make a pitching change. Brown struck out for the second out. Robnett grounded to third, Rogers scored, and Robnett beat the throw to first. Harriman would then reach on a fielder's choice to end the inning with Robnett out at second.
West Michigan had a chance in the fourth. With two outs, Danilo Sanchez singled to center. Kelly Hunt then blooped one to center, Sanchez went to third. Kody Kirland would strike out to end the inning. Somehow the Cougars would get out of the fifth inning without giving up any runs. Garth McKinney led off with a walk. Vince Blue then singled to right. One out later, Eric Rodland singled to third to load the bases. Cougar starter Chris Dunwell then got Francia to strike out looking. Juan Llamas reached on a fielder's choice to end the inning, with Rodland out at third.
The Caps came within one run of the led in the sixth by scoring twice. With one out, Hunt reached on a low throw by Spanos. One out later, McKinney was hit by a pitch. The Cougars then brought in Justin Crowder. Blue blooped one to center to score Hunt. Jason Knoedler singled to left to score McKinney. Danilo Sanchez hit a two out homer to left in the seventh to tie the game at three.
Brown led off the eighth with a single to right, he went to second on a wild pitch. Robnett walked. Harriman bunted the runners over to second and third. He got the bunt down even with two strikes. The Caps then made a pitching change. Kory Wayment pitch hit for Kim and struck out for the second out. Ingram struck out to end the inning.
With one runner on base in each of the eighth and the ninth with two outs, Jason Windsor struck out the next Cap to get out of the inning and preserve the tie. The Cougars couldve scored in the eleventh. Harriman led off with a walk. Jesse Acosta pitch ran for him. Wayment moved him to second with a bunt. Ingram walked. Then Rogers grounded into the inning ending double play.
The Cougars couldve scored again in the twelvth or the 13th. In the 12th, Appert led off with a single to left. Spanos then singled to left. One out later, Brown lined one to short. The shortstop threw to second to double off Appert to end the inning. In the 13th, Robnett singled to lead things off. David Castillo bunted him over. Eddie Kim then hit a gapper, the centerfielder Vince Blue made a tremendous catch. Ingram then walked. Rogers grounded to first to end the inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the 12th, Hunt singled to center. Kirland and McKinney both walked. Blue grounded one back to the pitcher to end the inning.
Vasili Spanos nailed a liner over the left field wall with one out in the 14th to put the Cougars ahead. Putnam then singled to left. Brown walked. Robnett then poped out to center. Castillo would single to left to score Putnam. Wayment then grounded out to second to end the inning.
West Michigan answerd right back to tie the game. Sanchez led off with a liner to the wall in center. Somehow he was held to a single by Robnett. One out later, Kirkland singled to right. The Cougars then brought in a new pitcher. McKinney doubled down the line just past Spanos at third. Sanchez would score. Blue was then intentionally walked to reload the bases. Knoedler hit a sacrifice fly to left to allow Kirkland to score. Rodland would walk to again reload the bases. Francia grounded out to first to end the inning.
Ingram led off the 15th inning with a walk. Rogers then struck out. Appert poped out to left. Spanos was hit by a pitch. Putnam lined out to right to end the inning. Nick McIntyre singled to left. The Cougars then made a pitching change. Brian Graham bunted McIntyre to second and a wild pitch moved him to third. Hunt was then intentionally walked. Kirkland poped out to center. McKinney then grounded out to second to get the Cougars out of the inning.
With one out in the 16th Robnett singled to short. Castillo then hit a liner off a sign in left center. The ball bounced back into play, but thankfully it was a two run blast. The Caps were not done yet. Blue led off with a single to right. Knoedler reached on a fielder's choice, with Blue out at second, and a low throw at first allowing him to reach. Rodland singled to left. Runners on first and third with one out. Francia grounded out to the pitcher for the second out. McIntyre then grounded out to first to finally end the game.
Thanks
David Malamut