Cougars win streak snapped at 5

APPLETON, Wl. - Despite grabbing an early 3-0 lead in the middle of the second inning, the visiting Kane County Cougars (2-1, 41-29) were defeated at the hands of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (1-2, 27-44) by a 9-5 final. It halts the Cougars win streak at five games and hands Butch Hobson's club their first loss of the second half.

At the outset, a strong offensive attack against Wisconsin continued as the Cougars scored three runs in the second against righty Nattino Diplan (2-5). Diplan issued two walks, and with Luis Silverio in scoring position, Fernery Ozuna's single drove in a tally. The next man up, Ben Deluzio, slugged a 2-RBI triple as the Cougars waltzed ahead 3-0.

In the home half of the second, the Timber Rattlers scratched back against losing righty Emilio Vargas (2-3) for a pair of runs. With two on, rehabbing big leaguer Jonathan Villar collected his fifth hit of the series for an RBI. A Vargas balk allowed Trevor Morrison to score from third, and the Cougars lead was cut to 3-2.

And in the third, the Timber Rattlers added two more, taking the lead for good. With ammunition offensively from rehabbing big leaguers, former National League MVP Ryan Bruan whacked a solo home run down the right field line. And Ryan Aguilar provided Wisconsin with the advantage belting a homer of his own.

Both starters did not get out of the fourth inning. For the Cougars, Vargas lasted just three stanzas on as many hits and four runs, all earned. He also recorded four punchouts, those overshadowed by three walks and two home runs surrendered.

Wisconsin scored for the third straight inning in the fourth stanza. With three runs put across, Villar and Tucker Neuhaus injected RBI-base hits as righty Jeferson Mejia's (1-0) wild pitch to Weston Wilson plated Mario Feliciano. After the fourth, Wisconsin led 7-3.

Now with nine straight unanswered, the Timber Rattlers posted two more in the fifth including an RBI-triple from Villar. But the Cougars got back those runs with a sac-fly RBI from Manny Jefferson and Ben Deluzio's triple, run scored in the seventh. That was the end of all scoring. Wisconsin's Parker Berberet (1-3) picked up the victory with three and one-third innings on one earned run.