Walks, errors cost Cougars
The Kane County Cougars (39-42, 4-8) were defeated by the Clinton LumberKings (47-34, 8-3), 8-7, on Monday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.
The Cougars scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. Ernie De La Trinidad collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, the LumberKings batted around without collecting a hit. Two errors, three walks and a hit batsman, led to three runs for Clinton. Ariel Sandoval and Eugene Helder walked to notch RBIs while Jack Larsen earned an RBI after being hit by a pitch.
The Cougars responded with three runs to take the lead in the sixth. Luis Silverio made it 3-2 with an RBI double. The next batter, Jose Herrera, tied the score with an RBI bounce out to second base. An error by Clinton first baseman Onil Pena on a ground ball off the bat of Eudy Ramos allowed Silverio to score and hand the Cougars the lead.
In the seventh inning, the first four Clinton batters reached base via a walk. The fourth batter to walk, Jack Larsen, tied the game, 4-4. Keegan McGovern knocked in two runs with a ground ball through the right side and the LumberKings stormed ahead, 6-4. An RBI single from De La Trinidad in the seventh cut the deficit for the Cougars to 6-5. Ryan Costello hit a sacrifice fly in the eight for Clinton and Jack Larsen homered in the ninth. De La Trinidad's RBI single and Ryan Grotjohn's sacrifice fly in the ninth got the Cougars to within a run in the ninth, but the potential tying run was stranded at first base.
Cougar starter Mack Lemieux did not receive a decision after 4⅔ innings, allowing 3 runs (none earned) on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks. Juan Torres (2-1) tossed 1⅓ innings, allowing 2 runs, taking the loss. Erbert Gonzalez hurled an inning of 1-run ball. Rafael Pujols allowed 2 runs (one earned) in two frames.
Clinton starter Randy Bell (1-0) earned his first Midwest League win with 6 innings, 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts. Marvin Gorgas allowed an unearned run in two innings. Sam Delaplane (5) earned the save despite allowing 2 runs in the ninth.