Cougars pitcher felled by line drive

Kane County Cougars pitcher Craig Italiano was hospitalized after being struck on the forehead by a line drive in Monday's 3-0 Midwest League victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

With two outs in the top of the third inning, Wisconsin shortstop Carlos Triunfel lined Italiano's pitch right back up the middle, striking the 21-year-old right-hander on the forehead and caroming into the crowd for a ground-rule double.

Italiano immediately went down. He tried to get up but was tended to by members of the Cougars' training staff. He walked off the field several minutes later before being taken by ambulance to Delnor Community Hospital in Geneva, Ill., for precautionary reasons.

Italiano allowed just two hits and a walk in 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2005 draft but made only six starts for Kane County last season before undergoing shoulder surgery.

In six starts this season, Italiano is 0-3 with a 12.71 ERA.

Jason Fernandez (2-0) picked up the win with 3 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing only two hits while striking out six. Branden Dewing followed with 1 2/3 shutout frames and Scott Moore got the last four outs for his second save.

The Cougars (8-28) got on the board in the bottom of the third on Greg Dowling's solo homer, his fourth of the season. Jacob Smith made it 2-0 with another solo blast in the sixth and Toddric Johnson laced an RBI double an inning later to cap the scoring.

Timber Rattlers starter Christopher Tillman (1-3) went 4 1/3 innings and gave up one run on five hits and two walks.

Kalian Sams went 2-for-3 for Wisconsin (10-25), which had won four of its previous six games.