Cougars win 5-4, get back to .500

DAVENPORT, Iowa - For the fourth time this season, the Kane County Cougars (24-24) reached .500 as they grabbed the rubber game over the Quad Cities River Bandits (34-14) 5-4 on Thursday night at Modern Woodman Park.

Down 1-0 the Cougars loaded the bases in the top of the second inning. With the bags packed and nobody out, Stryker Trahan blasted a single through the shift to tie the game. During the play a bad throw from right field brought home Henry Castillo for a 2-1 Cougars' lead. Brock Dykxhoorn (3-3) committed a balk later in the inning to bring home Ryan Hutchison. Trahan eventually scored on Ildemaro Vargas' sacrifice fly for a 4-1 Cougars lead.

Ethan Elias (5-1) served up 8 hits in his 5⅔ innings but produced three groundball double plays and struck out four batters to become the first Cougar to reach 5 victories.

The Cougars grabbed another insurance run on a Quad Cities mistake in the seventh. Trahan picked up his third hit of the day with a leadoff double and later scored on an error by Thomas Lindauer. Trahan's second hit of the day was a bunt single put down against the shift.

The bullpen provided clutch work in the later innings as Steve Hathaway stranded the bases loaded in the sixth and Cody Geyer allowed only a walk through an inning and a third. Zac Curtis tossed a perfect ninth inning for his tenth save in ten tries.

The Cougars continue their road trip getting their first look at the Chiefs in Peoria. Friday's series opener features a matchup of Brad Keller (2-4, 2.68) on the mound against Peoria's Luis Perdomo (1-4, 1.77).