Cougars lose rubber match to Cedar Rapids
After starting the season undefeated, the Kane County Cougars (5-2) have now lost their last two, dropping the three-game series to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-3) in a Wednesday morning rubber match, 4-1. The contest was played in front of a season-high 4,309 fans at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.
After winning game one of the series in shutout fashion, the Cougars managed only two runs over 18 innings in the last two contests, dropping their first three-game set of 2017.
Locked in a pitcher's duel at the outset, Cougars' right-hander Jon Duplantier (0-0) gave up his first run of the season in the top of the third inning. After a single by Cedar Rapids' Jermaine Palacios, Duplantier committed a throwing error, collecting a Travis Blankenhorn bunt, to score a run.
With the Kernels leading 1-0, the Cougars bats did not collect their first hit until the home half of the fourth. Pitted against righty Eduardo Del Rosario (0-0), the Cougars received a single from Jasrado Chisholm, and a walk from Ramon Hernandez, but failed to score any runs.
In his second start, Duplantier kept the Cougars in the ballgame as the team scored the game-tying run in the fifth inning. On base hits from Kyle Smith and Luis Basabe, the Cougars loaded the bases for Marcus Wilson who walked to force in the tally. It was Wilson's team leading seventh walk and fifth RBI of the campaign.
Despite a lack of help from Cougars hitters, Duplantier lasted 5 innings on 1 run (no earned runs) with 6 strikeouts and a walk in the no-decision.
It did not take long for the Kernels to strike for the go-ahead run in the sixth inning against the Cougars' bullpen. Leading off the inning, University of California-Berkeley product Mitchell Kranson swatted his first home run of the season against Ryan Burr (0-1), gracing Cedar Rapids with a 2-1 advantage.
The Kernels homered again in the eighth inning against right-hander Tyler Mark (0-0) as Jaylin Davis raked the big fly past left field. It was the Kernels' third home run of the three-game series. A final sacrifice fly RBI for the Kernels' Aaron Whitefield capped off the scoring effort to push the lead to 4-1.
In the final inning, right-hander Colton Davis (1) concluded the contest with his first save of the season in 1-2-3 succession. Out of the bullpen, lefty Andrew Vasquez (1-0) picked up the win in third and one-third innings of scoreless work. Burr took his first loss for the Cougars.