Timber Rattlers stun Kane County Cougars

It was tough to stop Wisconsin's Isan Diaz and Alan Sharkey. They drove in all 7 runs for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (26-27, 60-63) who erased a 5-run deficit to come back against the Kane County Cougars (23-30, 56-67) by a 7-6 final. The go-ahead hit was provided by Diaz with a opposite field single in the seventh. The Cougars dropped the four game series, coming away with a 2-6 record om their longest homestand of the season.

It was an offensive first for the Cougars. Batting around, the Cougars put up a five spot in the first inning, chasing starter Zack Brown (1-1) out of the ballgame. The Cougars first four batters reached base. Two runs scored on wild pitches, another two came from Stephen Dezzi and Gerard Hernandez. There was also a throwing error at shortstop on Dezzi's ground ball that led to another tally. Brown tossed 44 pitches before being removed.

But Wisconsin stayed in the game, scoring three unanswered against Cougar starting hurler, righty Max Duval (1-5). In the second, Alan Sharkey blasted a home run past right field. The next frame, Diaz followed up with a 2-run homer, his league-leading 19th of the season, to make it just a 5-3 Cougars lead.

The Cougars added a run in the fourth inning, taking advantage of a throwing error by Wisconsin's first baseman, Sharkey. But that 3-run lead for the Cougars evaporated due to the continued home run power of the Timber Rattlers.

With Duval still on the mound, Diaz and Ercerg roped base hits in the sixth for the game's MVP. Sharkey, who had no home runs before Thursday night's game, cranked a 3-run shot past the right field corner, tying the game at six runs a piece. In the following inning, Wisconsin took their first lead on a two-out base knock from Isan Diaz, his third RBI of the night.

In the ninth against closer, Nate Griep (1-2), the Cougars' Fernery Ozuna tripled to lead off the frame. But Griep bore down. He struck out the side, stranding Ozuna on third,

Right-hander Corbin Burnes (3-0) picked up the win, Duval took the loss, and Griep logged his 20th save, which leads the league.

Friday, the Cougars begin a seven-game road trip with a game against the Quad Cities River Bandits. Righty Jose Almonte (2-3, 2.78 ERA) faces Quad Cities' right-hander Hector Perez (1-0, 4.74 ERA). First pitch is at 7 p.m.