Cougars' Lemieux stymies motor of Hot Rods
In a triumphant start from winning southpaw Mack Lemeiux (4-3), the Kane County Cougars (50-37, 11-9) captured their 50th win of the campaign over the Eastern Division's Bowling Green Hot Rods (12-8, 43-44) by a 3-1 tally. The Cougars halted the Hot Rods' league best nine-game win streak. The Cougars also started their 12 straight games in cross-divisional play.
In their first offensive chance, the Cougars took a run against righty starter, and losing pitcher, J.D. Busfield (4-6). Stringing together four straight hits, Mark Karaviotis' double plated All-Star Marcus Wilson for the initial damage.
After a strong start from Lemieux, the Hot Rods got on the board in the fifth, tying the game at one run each. A one-out triple from Mike Brosseau set the table for an RBI single from Josh Lowe.
Bowling Green almost sent home the go-ahead tally on a double from Garrett Whitley in that fifth inning. But on two strong throws - from Marcus Wilson and Manny Jefferson - Lowe was tossed out at home plate, scored officially as a 7-6-3 putout, to keep it even.
Re-claiming the lead, the Cougars took a 2-1 advantage in the home half of the fifth. All with two outs, B.J. Lopez and Ben Deluzio traded doubles, with Deluzio getting the RBI knock.
Tacking onto their lead, the Cougars kept at it with two outs in the sixth. Facing new pitcher, righty Spencer Moran (0-1), Karaviotis doubled for the second time and two batters later, Manny Jefferson guided a single to right making it a 3-1 cushion.
Hats off to Lemieux, who rebounded from a tough last outing on the road. Lemieux doled out a quality outing in six innings on seven hits, surrendering just one run (one earned) with a career best eight strikeouts.
In relief, righty Wei-Chieh Huang (6) ail grabbed the hold in impressive form. Working the seventh and eighth frames, Huang struck out five Hot Rods in scoreless form. In the ninth, southpaw Junior Garcia (1) notched the save in his season debut.
On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., the Cougars play game two with the Hot Rods. On the mound for the Cougars, righty Curtis Taylor (3-4, 3.57 ERA) duels righty Angel Yepez (0-0, 2.45 ERA).