Cougars drop finale to Quad Cities

The Kane County Cougars dropped the finale of their four-game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits, 6-3, on Thursday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.

The River Bandits (8-10) scored in their first at-bat. Jonathan Arauz tripled and scored on Michael Papierski's RBI double. The next batter, Bryan De La Cruz, singled to left, but Cougars (9-9) left fielder Yoel Yanqui gunned out Papierski at home. In the bottom of the second inning, Eudy Ramos led off with a double. He scored when Ernie De La Trinidad hit a bouncer back to the mound and Quad Cities pitcher Tyler Ivey threw to third and committed an error. The Cougars took their first lead in the bottom of the third on Luis Silverio's RBI triple. Silverio made it 3-1 Cougars with his first homer of the year in the fifth inning.

The Cougars went to the bullpen in the seventh inning, calling on Jayson McKinley. A one-out single from Adrian Tovalin and a Colton Shaver walk set the table for Cody Bohanek. Bohanek blasted a three-run homer to left-center, giving the Bandits the lead, 4-3. Quad Cities tacked on two more in the eighth inning on run-scoring extra base hits from De La Cruz and Tovalin.

Shaffer didn't factor into the decision for the Cougars, despite six innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and striking out seven batters. At one point, Shaffer retired 15 straight batters. McKinley (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs in 1+ innings. Erbert Gonzalez and Matt Brill each threw an inning of shutout ball.

Bandits' starter Tyler Ivey took a no-decision, lasting 4.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out five and walking none. Colin McKee (3-0) struck out the first four batters he faced and earned the win. Tanner Duncan (2) tossed the final 2.2 innings, holding the Cougars off the scoreboard to earn the save.