Cougars pull away late for 9-0 win over Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Daury Torrez is now 4-0 in four starts against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The right-hander out of the Dominican Republic tossed five scoreless innings and allowed one hit as the Kane County Cougars defeated the Rattlers 9-0 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Kane County (79-45 overall, 34-20 second half) had Shawon Dunston, Jr. at first and Carlos Penalver at third with one out in the top of the third inning, but catcher Clint Coulter picked Penalver off third for the second out. Then, Mark Zagunis drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Dunston and Zagunis pulled a double steal on the first pitch to Victor Caratini and Dunston would score when Coulter's throw to third sailed into left field. Caratini drove in Zagunis with a single to center and the Cougars were up 2-0.

Wisconsin (65-58, 29-25) could do little against Daury Torrez. Michael Ratterree had a two out single in the first inning and that was the lone Timber Rattlers hit off Torrez, who walked two, and struck out three to earn his eleventh win of the season.. 

Wei-Chung Wang made the start for the Timber Rattlers and allowed two runs on six hits over 4-1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four in the game.

Brandon Moore, who was making his Timber Rattlers debut, took over for Wang in the fifth inning and kept Kane County in check until the seventh. Jeffrey Baez started the inning with a solo home run. A walk and a double put runners at second and third with no outs. Moore got the first out on a grounder to second that held the runners at second and third before walking Zagunis intentionally to load the bases and set up an inning-ending double play.

Caratini spoiled the strategy with a two run single to make the score 5-0. 

Moore looked like he was headed out of the inning, but a chopper to short was misplayed for an error to allow another run to score and that was all for Moore.

Harvey Martin took over on the hill and gave up an RBI single to Jacob Rogers and an RBI double to Jeimer Candelario. A walk to Baez reloaded the bases. Daniel Lockhart knocked in the final run of the inning with a single and Kane County was up 7-0.

Taylor Brennan singled off David Garner with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to account for Wisconsin's second hit of the game.

The loss was the third in a row for the Rattlers and the sixth time they have been shutout this season. Kane County has shut Wisconsin out three times this season, twice when Torrez was the starting pitcher.

HOME RUN:
KC:
Jeffrey Baez (2^nd, 0 on in 7^th off Brandon Moore, 0 out)

WP: Daury Torrez (11-5)
LP: Wei-Chung Wang (0-2)
SAVE: David Garner (1)

TIME: 2:25