Five-run ninth inning spells loss for Cougars

Despite a season-high seven innings from starter Justin Donatella, the TinCaps used a 5-run ninth inning to climb past the Cougars, 7-4.

Fort Wayne takes the series, 2-1, as the Cougars finished the home stand 3-3 heading into a seven-game road trip at Cedar Rapids and Burlington.

Against Cougars closer Keegan Long, Fort Wayne cleanup hitter Carlos Belen crushed a 3-run home run to left field giving the TinCaps a 2-run advantage in the final inning. Fort Wayne plated two more runs on an RBI hit from catcher Kyle Overstreet.

The game started favorably, as the Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with RBI groundouts from Eduardo de Oleo and Galli Cribbs in support of Donatella, who allowed just 3 hits over 7 frames on 1 earned run.

After Fort Wayne tied the game at 2, the Cougars once again grabbed a lead with a seventh inning RBI double socked by Joe Munoz. Nearly a home run, Munoz collected his 10th RBI of the campaign.

In the aftermath of the TinCaps 5-run, 6-hit ninth inning surge, the Cougars scored a lone run in the bottom of the ninth. The run was set up by a lead-off triple from Jason Morozowski. He finished with 7 hits in the three-game series.

Keegan Long (0-1) blew his first save of 2016 also suffering the loss. Fort Wayne's Jerry Keel (1-3) tossed a scoreless inning of relief in the win.