Cougars fall to South Bend Cubs again, 6-2
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Starting the Eastern Division road swing 0-2, the Kane County Cougars (15-9) fell to the South Bend Cubs (16-10) Wednesday morning by a 6-2 score. Despite an early Cougars lead, the Cubs limited the Cougars to just 4 hits in the game. It did not help that the Cougars committed 4 errors in game two of the series Four Winds Field.
Facing South Bend right-hander Tyson Miller (1-2), who notched the win, the Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning. After Luis Silverio reached second on a fielding error, Ramon Hernandez drove him in for his fourth RBI day in five games.
Similar to last night, the Cubs showed resilience claiming their first lead with a pair of homes in the home half of the second inning. The first run scored on a throwing error behind home plate for Cougars catcher Alexis Olmeda. And the Cubs kept the momentum going with an RBI double from Jhonny Pereda to go up 2-1.
With a home run for the second straight game, the Cougars tied it up in the top of the fourth. His first home run of the 2017 season, Luis Silverio bashed a long ball past left field making it a 2-2 ballgame.
The tied affair was short-lived as the Cubs struck for three runs in the fourth and fifth innings. A big performer from game one of the series, Kevonte Mitchell's double scooted past Cougars right-fielder Billy Endris for one tally. Pereda added another run on an RBI groundout with Yelier Peguero's single providing more run-scoring damage. South Bend held a 5-2 midgame lead.
In his shortest start of the season, right-hander Sam McWilliams (3-1) suffered the loss for the Cougars going four innings on 5 hits, 4 runs (4 earned), and 6 strikeouts without a walk.
The Cubs added 1 more run late in the home half of the eighth inning thanks to an RBI from Isaac Paredes on a groundout. The Cubs registered 10 total hits, scoring in four different innings.
With the final game of the series Thursday night, the Cougars play the Cubs at 6:05 p.m. On the mound, southpaw Cody Reed (1-0, 1.35 ERA) goes for the Cougars against the Cubs' lefty Bryan Hudson (0-1, 10.13 ERA).