Cougars win playoff opener 4-0
Greg Billo and Nick Rogers combined on a 3-hit shutout Wednesday night to lead the Kane County Cougars over the Burlington Bees 4-0 at Elfstrom Stadium in the opener of the 2011 Midwest League playoffs.
The best-of-three series now shifts to Iowa.
Billo (1-0) tossed 7 innings to pick up the win, as he locked up with Blake Hassebrock (0-1) in a pitchers duel. Billo gave up 3 hits, walked one and fanned seven. He saw the minimum five times and went 1-2-3 four times.
The game was scoreless through five innings when the Cougars managed an unearned run off Hassebrock.
Jovan Pickett walked, took second on a passed ball, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Angel Franco and scored on a sacrifice fly by Geulin Beltre.
In the seventh the Cougars scored another unearned run, this time off Pedro Vidal. After Brian Fletcher led off with a single, Cheslor Cuthbert reached on a fielder’s choice while Fletcher was safe at second and took third on an error. Orlando Calixte followed with an RBI double to make it 3-0.
In the eighth Fletcher’s sacrifice fly scored Beltre. The 4-0 score became the final after Rogers tossed a scoreless ninth to earn the save.