Perfect record intact as Cougars roll past kernels
Leading the Kane County Cougars (5-0) to their fifth straight victory, 2-0, right-hander Ryan Atkinson (1-0) dazzled in his Midwest League debut against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-3), striking out 10 batters in a shutout effort. It was the third shutout of the season for the Cougars who are off to their best start in a season since 2008.
Scoring first for the fifth game in as many tries, the Cougars had three straight hits in the home half of the first ending in an RBI base hit for Ramon Hernandez. The Cougars first baseman leads the club with five RBI on the season.
Battering right-hander Clark Beeker (0-1), shortstop Jazz Chisholm ripped his first home run of the season in the fourth, extending the Cougars lead to 2-0.
That early offense was all that was needed for Atkinson. The University of Cincinnati product tossed a gem in his first start in full-season pro ball. Atkinson got in a groove right away inducing a double play to end the first inning. Atkinson followed up with an impressive strikeout of the side in the third frame, and finished with 10 strikeouts in just five and one-third innings pitched.
Registering the most strikeouts for a Cougar since lefty Cody Reed struck out 11 Hot Rod batters on April 30th, 2016, Atkinson etched his name into the franchise record books with his season debut.
With just a two-run lead, Manager Butch Hobson turned to the bullpen in the sixth inning. Getting out of a jam with a runner on base, right-hander Wei-Chieh Huang polished off another scoreless inning for the Cougars, adding two more solid innings of work. After Huang, converted football quarterback, right-hander Tommy Eveld slammed the door in the ninth inning in 1-2-3 fashion.
In 21 plus innings pitched, the Cougars' bullpen still has not allowed a run this season.
Atkinson picked up the win, Beeker took the loss, and Eveld (1) grabbed the save. The Cougars play game two with the Kernels on Tuesday at High Noon from Northwestern Medicine Field. Taking the mound, right-hander Emilio Vargas (1-0) duels righty Tyler Beardsley (0-0).