Kane County scores big to beat Wisconsin
GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars scored eight runs in the bottom of the second inning and rolled to a 15-5 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Wednesday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Wisconsin did get to within four runs late, but the Cougars added to their lead with six runs in the bottom of the eighth.
The first ten Kane County hitters to bat in the bottom of the second inning reached base. Eight of them scored. The inning started with a single by Marty Herum. Next, Timber Rattlers starting pitcher Jon Perrin and Kane County's Colin Bray battled for eleven pitches as Bray fouled off six different two-strike pitches and worked the count to 3-2. Bray belted pitch number twelve of the at bat over the wall in right for a two-run homer.
The next two batters reached on a walk and a single. Joe Munoz would come through with an RBI single and the Cougars (48-34 overall, 12-2 second half) were up 3-0. The next hitter would single to load the bases. Chuck Taylor and Ildemaro Vargas connected on back-to-back RBI singles to make it 5-0 and chase Perrin from the game.
Luke Curtis took over for Perrin and issued a bases loaded walk to Cody Regis to force in a run. Herum, in his second at bat of the inning, lined a single to center to drive in two more runs and the Cougars were up 8-0.
Wisconsin (28-56, 5-9) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth inning against Kane County starter Josh Taylor. The Rattlers scored a run when Alan Sharkey grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Rattlers added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Elvis Rubio and Greg McCall singled to start the inning and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Tucker Neuhaus drove in Rubio with a sacrifice fly. Blake Allemand knocked in McCall with a two out single.
Wisconsin threatened again in the sixth inning when Sthervin Matos and Dustin DeMuth started the inning with singles. Sharkey was robbed of a hit when his line drive was snared at third by Munoz. Then, Yency Solis took over for Taylor and retired the next two batters on routine flyouts.
Luis Ortega, Wisconsin's third pitcher in the game, worked 2-2/3 scoreless innings until he gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI single by Regis to make the score 9-3.
The Rattlers rallied again in the eighth inning against reliever Luis Ramirez. Allemand picked up his third hit of the night with a single. A two-out single by Alan Sharkey put runners on the corners. A balk by Ramirez allowed Allemand to score and Sharkey to take second base. Carlos Leal singled to left to drive in Sharkey and the Rattlers were within four runs.
Kane County put any thoughts of a ninth inning comeback by the Rattlers away with six runs in the bottom of the eighth to go up by ten runs. Ortega got the first out, but the next seven batters reached base against him. Vargas had an RBI single. Herum added a two-run double. Bray singled home a run. Michael Perez added an RBI when his grounder was misplayed and that knocked Ortega out of the game.
Reliever Zach Cooper gave up an RBI double to Quinnton Mack and hit the next batter to load the bases before getting an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. But, the Cougars were up 15-5 when the smoke cleared.
Wisconsin got a walk to start the ninth, but Zac Curtis retired the next three batters to finish the game.
The Timber Rattlers and Cougars conclude their series on Thursday night. Angel Ventura (3-2, 2.47) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Chris Oliver, who had a 4-5 record with a 4.04 ERA with the Lakewood BlueClaws in the South Atlantic League, will make his Midwest League debut with the Cougars after joining them in a trade between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies. Game time is 6:30pm.
There are several ways to catch the action from Kane County. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. Subscribers to MiLB.TV may watch the game on that platform with the Kane County announcers.
HOME RUN:
KC:
Colin Bray (2nd, 1 on in 2nd inning off Jon Perrin, 0 out)
WP: Josh Curtis (1-0)
LP: Jon Perrin (0-1)
TIME: 3:09
ATTN: 3,228