LumberKings clout Cougars

After winning their first five series of the year, the Kane County Cougars have dropped four straight.

The latest came thanks to an 11-4 defeat Sunday afternoon against the Clinton LumberKings before 7,487 at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva.

The Cougars, who lost two of three in the series, hit the road for a week after going 3-6 on a nine-game homestand.

Starter and losing pitcher Jamie Richmond (2-2) was rocked for 6 runs (5 earned) in 6 innings.

Richmond allowed 8 hits, walking none and striking out three.

The Cougars trailed 5-0 in the fifth when Todd Johnson's run-scoring infield single cut it to 5-1

Later Corey Brown brought in a run with a groundout that cut the deficit to 6-2.

But the LumberKings belted a pair of homers in the ninth inning -- 1 each off Chad Kerfoot and Leonardo Espinal -- to break the game open at 11-2.

The Cougars' Michael Lissman drove in 2 runs with a double in the bottom of the ninth.

The Cougars (18-10), who are 3 games behind first-place Clinton, start a seven-game road trip today at 5:35 p.m. against the West Michigan Whitecaps (17-11).