Cougars postpone game; doubleheader on Friday

Thursday afternoon's game between the Kane County Cougars and Lansing Lugnuts at Elfstrom Stadium was postponed by rain.

It will be made up Friday as part of a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 4 p.m. Friday's game was originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., so Game 2 of the doubleheader will not start any earlier than that time.

Brett Hunter (0-0, 10.00) is expected to pitch Game 1, and Ben Hornbeck will start in Game 2.

The Cougars (13-6) are in the middle of a 10-game home stand and are in sole possession of first place atop the Western Division.

On Wednesday, for the first time in 2009, the Cougars lost back-to-back games. They were shut out Tuesday by Beloit and lost, 2-1, Wednesday night against the Lansing Lugnuts at Elfstrom Stadium.

The Cougars managed only three hits and scored just one unearned run. Jason Christian reached second on an error in the seventh and later scored a on double play grounder. He singled in the ninth and stole second but was stranded when the game ended. Grant Desme's third-inning double and Steve Kleen's seventh-inning single were the only other Cougars hits.

Cougars starter Pedro Figueroa (2-1), who pitched seven shutout innings in his last start for a win, walked 5 and allowed 2 runs in 31/3 innings. The runs he allowed came after leadoff walks in the first and third. He gave up 6 hits and had 1 strikeout in the loss.

Mike Hart and Kenny Smalley combined for 62/3 innings of one-hit shutout relief afterward, but the Cougars' offense was stymied by Chuck Huggins (1-1) and the Lansing bullpen.