Errors prove costly for Kane County Cougars in loss

DAVENPORT, Iowa - The Kane County Cougars (28-28, 61-75) only allowed 3 hits to the Quad Cities River Bandits (29-37, 60-75) but it was still enough for the Bandits to even the series with a 3-2 win from Modern Woodmen Park Thursday night.

The Cougars defense committed a few costly errors in the ballgame, including one that caused a 2-run hole in the first inning.

In likely his last start of the year Carlos Hernandez (7-11) allowed just 1 hit in the first inning, a leadoff double by Bobby Wernes, but a walk to Kristian Trompiz followed. Stephen Wrenn's potential double-play grounder was then thrown into left field by Raymel Flores.

Wernes scored on the play and Trompiz later came home on a passed ball.

The Cougars chipped away in the third and fourth innings. Stryker Trahan drove in Fernery Ozuna with a groundout for the first run. The Cougars knocked starter Hector Perez out of the next inning after he walked two batters. The Cougars loaded the bases, but the only run they scored off David Schmidt (4-3) was a hit by pitch to Marcus Wilson. Schmidt picked up the win with 3⅔ innings of scoreless innings.

Quad Cities grabbed the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Pat Porter in the fifth.

After Hernandez finished his 2016 campaign with 5 innings of 3-run baseball, the right handier dropped his ERA to 2.55 despite suffering the loss. All 3 runs were unearned.

Mason McCullough and Jeferson Mejia combined for three scoreless, nearly perfect, innings as they tallied 8 strikeouts in the final three frames.

Justin Ferrell was also dominant toward the end as he retired all six Cougars that he faced for his second save of the year.

The Cougars and River Bandits will wrap up their season series on Friday. Sam McWilliams (2-6, 4.13) will take the bump for the Cougars against Quad Cities' Enrique Chaves (0-1, 3.27). First pitch from Modern Woodmen Park is scheduled for 7 p.m. Coverage on AM 1280 WBIG begins at 6:45 p.m.