Ventura, Billo combine on 4-hit shutout for Cougars

Yordano Ventura and Greg Billo, a pair of 20-year-old Kane County Cougars right-handers, shut down the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Tuesday night.

They combined on a 4-hit shutout as the Cougars won 3-0 in the opener of a three-game series and six-game homestand at Elfstrom Stadium.

The Cougars are 17-9 in their last 26 games.

Ventura (1-1) allowed 1 hit over 5 innings with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts for his first victory. It was the second time in 3 outings he did not allow a run in a 5-inning effort.

Billo took over in the sixth and gave up 3 hits over the final four innings and struck out three to earn his first save. The Hot Rods entered the game ranked first in the Midwest League in homers and third in runs, but their offense could muster only 4 singles.

The Cougars jumped ahead early. Ryan Stovall belted a first-inning RBI double off Enny Romero (2-3), and Julio Aparicio homered with two outs in the second to make it 2-0. The Cougars’ final run came in the sixth when Stovall singled, took third on a Cheslor Cuthbert single and scored on a wild pitch. Stovall went 2-for-4 and has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.