Kane County Cougars drop third straight

BURLINGTON, IOWA - With their third consecutive loss, the Kane County Cougars (24-19) saw the Burlington Bees (16-25) come back from an early deficit to capture a 5-3 victory. The Cougars now will try to salvage a series split with two more games left in the series.

In a tough start for losing southpaw Cody Reed (3-2), the Cougars' offense was led by Anfernee Grier who finished tied for a personal career high with 3 base hits. Grier gave the Cougars chances to take the lead all night long including in the eighth when he ripped a lead-off double. With the game-tying run to the plate, Grier was stranded in scoring position.

Forwarded by a strong offensive start, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lead-off man Ben Deluzio began the contest by reaching first on a throwing error from shortstop Roberto Baldoquin. Deluzio then immediately swiped second, and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Mark Karaviotis.

But the Bees, who scored early in Monday night's game, tied up the game at 1-1 after the home half of the first. Snapping a scoreless innings streak of 17, the Bees scored on Reed with an RBI double from Brennon Lund.

Showcasing a resurgent offense, the Cougars re-took the lead in the third inning, 3-1. Battering righty Nate Bertness (3-2), the Coguars Deluzio started the frame with a line drive single. The very next man up, Grier, smashed his sixth double of the campaign to score the go-ahead tally. And Grier later scored on another sacrifice fly, this time off the bat of Jose Herrera.

A tenacious Burlington offense came back again though to tie it in the home half of the fourth. After two scoreless frames from Reed, it looked like he was in control until John Schuknecht drove a two-run home run past left field to tie the game, 3-3.

In an unusual showing of adversity, Reed coughed up the lead to the Bees in the fifth inning. As Burlington went up front, 4-3, it was Jahmai Jones on a line drive double to right that scored Juan Moreno. Reed left after five frames allowing four runs (all earned) on two strikeouts and as many walks.

Burlington padded their advantage on a Moreno sacrifice fly RBI in the seventh against Cougar reliever Ryan Burr (1-1). That made it 5-3 Bees, middle of the seventh. The Cougars almost came back in the top of the eighth to no avail. Grier led off the inning with a double, his third hit of the night, but was stranded on the base paths. Burlington's right Greg Belton (2) came in the ninth for a 1-2-3 save opportunity.

For Game 3, the Cougars have a 6:30 p.m. first pitch against the Bees in Burlington. On the mound, right-hander Jon Duplantier (4-0, 0.64 ERA) takes his perfect record and league-leading ERA against Burlington's Sam Pastrone (1-4, 7.42 ERA).