McWilliams pitches Cougars to win over Clinton
Led by an extra-base hitting exhibition from Stryker Trahan and Fernery Ozuna, the Kane County Cougars (13-24, 46-61) powered past the first-place Clinton LumberKings (25-12, 64-43), by a 4-3 score. Of the 11 total Cougar hits, four were for extra-bases that produced run-scoring plays. The Cougars are now 5-4 against Clinton in Geneva.
Through three games of the series, every starter has notched 6 innings or more for quality starts. Overall, the Cougars have limited the playoff bound LumberKings to just 6 total runs, with a chance to win the series Tuesday.
Snapping a 14-inning scoreless streak, the Cougars got on the board first with a 2-run second inning. Making his fifth appearance against the Cougars this season, right-hander Ronald Dominguez (2-3) allowed a lead-off single to Trevor Mitsui as Frank Christy followed with a walk. With two men on and one out, Ozuna hooked a double down the right-field line to drive in the pair.
Behind a quality outing from right-hander Sam McWilliams (2-3), the Cougars committed three errors in the fourth that saw Clinton score their first run. Two errors from shortstop Luis Basabe, and a throwing error from catcher Frank Christy, uncharacteristically saw the Cougars lead cut to one run.
But in the fifth frame, the Cougars put up a key run of insurance in a 2-out rally. With Dominguez still on the mound, Basabe and Zach Nehrir strung together two singles as Trahan mashed an RBI-double to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
In a see-saw scoring match, the LumberKings managed a run in the eighth inning to pull within a run of the Cougars lead. With help from the top half of the batting order, Trahan motored to third on a triple to the wall in center field. Two men later, Trahan scored on an RBI base hit through the left side from Frank Christy.
In the ninth, right-hander Cody Clark (4-0) staved off a LumberKings comeback. After a lead-off walk from reliever Mason McCullough (0-1), Clark came in and the first man he faced reached on another error by Basabe. With two on, Rafael Fernandez stroked a single up the middle to drive in a run. Later, a wild pitch sent two runners to scoring position with just one out. But Clark forced a pop up, and struck out Rayder Ascaino to help win the game in dramatic fashion.
McWilliams picked up his first win since July 15th. Dominguez suffered the loss, and Clark (2) notched the save.