LumberKings clobber Kane County Cougars
The Clinton LumberKings jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Kane County Cougars on Monday before 7,374 at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva.
Brock Hebert and Alfredo Morales walked to start the game against starter Starling Peralta (2-1). Dario Pizzano singled home Hebert, and D.J. Peterson cracked an RBI double to score Morales for the LumberKings (62-63, 29-27). Pizzano came home on Taylor Ard’s sacrifice fly and Peterson scored on a fielder’s choice by Janelfry Zorilla.
Peralta, who lasted 41⁄3 innings, allowed 4 straight singles and 3 runs in the third. Gaby Guerrero scored on Martin Peguero’s hit, then Zorilla and Peguero came across on a single by Hebert.
Tyler Pike started for Clinton, pitching for the first time since July 31. He worked 2 hitless innings.
Reliever Rigoberto Garcia (1-4) pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs to earn the win.
Rock Shoulders put the Cougars (50-71, 20-35) on the board in the fourth with a long single off the wall in right that drove home Gioskar Amaya and Jeimer Candelario.
The LumberKings added 2 runs in the fifth off Peralta when Zorilla delivered an RBI double that scored Guerrero. Peguero followed with a sacrifice fly.
Justin Amlung and Al Yevoli combined to pitch 42⁄3 shutout innings out of the Cougars’ bullpen.
The Cougars and LumberKings will finish their four-game series today at 6:30 p.m. Cougars right-hander Tyler Skulina (0-1) is scheduled to start against lefty Steven Ewing (0-0).