Cougars fall to LumberKings

CLINTON, Iowa - Playing the first game of the second half, the Kane County Cougars (0-1) turned the calendar and refreshed their record with a 6-1 loss at the Clinton LumberKings (1-0). Relinquishing an early lead, the Cougars played the first of four at Clinton after a three-day hiatus for the Midwest League All-Star Break.

Each starting pitcher exited with career highs in strikeouts. Clinton's Nick Neidert (4-1) struck out 12 Cougar batters and only allowed one run in six innings of work. Alex Young (3-1) suffered his first career loss but struck out a career high eight batters. Also finishing six frames, Young gave up a season-high nine hits on five runs.

Playing Clinton for the sixth straight time, The Cougars scored a lone run in the first inning. Taking advantage of some shifty defense, Austin Byler sent in the game's first run on a mishandled grounder that plated Galli Cribbs.

The lead did not last long as Clinton responded with a run in the home half of the first inning. After Ricky Eusebio reached on an error, two uncharacteristic wild pitches by Young plated the game-tying run. Young entered the game with only two wild pitches in 37.0 innings this season.

And Clinton kept scoring from there, plating six unanswered runs to polish off a victory. A good part of the damage came from Luis Liberato. He recorded two RBI base hits and scored the final Clinton run in the seventh as the LumberKings notched 10 hits. Liberato finished with a hat trick of hits and runs.

Young suffers the loss in a near quality start for the Cougars as Neidert penciled in his best outing of the year in a win for Clinton. The last 17 Cougar batters were retired in succession.

Friday, the Cougars continue the series with the LumberKings in Clinton. First pitch is slated at 6:30 p.m. from Ashford University Field. Sam McWilliams (0-0, 3.60 ERA) gets the nod for the Cougars against Clinton's Zack Little (5-5, 2.93 ERA).