Cougars can't quite pull off comeback
PEORIA - Nearly pulling off a 3-run comeback in the ninth inning, the Kane County Cougars (22-23) fell to the Peoria Chiefs (23-22) at Dozer Park Wednesday night, 4-3.
With Steven De La Cruz in search of his second save of the season, the Peoria right-hander walked Joey Armstrong to begin the ninth inning. Jose Queliz followed with his third home run of the season to bring the Cougars within a run. Chiefs manager Joe Kruzel decided to stay with De La Cruz until singles from Luis Veras and Sergio Alcantara. Tyler Bray came on in relief and the Cougars threatened again as Bray put Morozowski aboard with a 4-pitch walk to load the bases. With one out, Galli Cribbs hit a groundball that turned into a force out at home to deny the tying run. Bray struck out Zach Nehrir to end the game.
The Cougars took advantage of an Armstrong leadoff walk in the second inning. Veras singled and Josh Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, as Alcantara lofted a sac-fly to right field for the game's first run, which
In the bottom of the second, the Chiefs fought back with a run of their own, tying the game 1-1. After a leadoff error at shortstop, the Chiefs R.J. Dennard cashed in with an RBI single.
Cougars started Justin Donatella ran into more trouble in the fourth inning. After walking a batter, the Chiefs' Brian O'Keefe and Dennard slugged back-to-back RBI doubles and the Chiefs took a 3-1 lead.
In relief, Cougar right-hander Gabe Speier kept the Chiefs at bay tossing two perfect relief innings.
Mason McCulough came on to pitch for the Cougars in the eighth. He quickly erased the first two batters, but Peoria's Chris Chinea laced the Chiefs' fourth double of the day, and Thomas Spitz followed with a two-out RBI single and Peoria took a 4-1 lead.
Junior Fernandez (4-3) earned the win with 5⅔ innings of 2-hit, 1-run baseball, striking out six. Harley Holt and Steven De La Cruz each picked up holds as Bray earned his second save of the year.
Donatella (5-2) suffered the loss.
Thursday's road stand finale begins at 7 p.m. as the Cougars' right-hander, Bo Takahashi, duels the Chiefs' Ryan Helsley.