Cougars take game, series from Wisconsin

Erasing a multi-run deficit for the second straight night, the Kane County Cougars (27-22, 66-50) polished off a 4-3 victory - and a series win - Sunday over the visiting Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (21-28, 47-70). Down 3-0 going into the sixth inning, the Cougars staged a late rally behind the offense of catcher Cole Thompson, and a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning from Ramon Hernandez.

With the win, the Cougars have won 9 of their last 11 games, taking three of four from Wisconsin. It is the third straight series win for Manager Butch Hobson's playoff bound club.

Similar to Saturday night's contest, the Cougars fell behind Wisconsin early. The Timber Rattlers scored the game's first three runs. Plating two in the second against righty Sam McWilliams (11-5), the Timber Rattlers pounded out four hits on RBI from Demi Orimoloye and Nathan Rodriguez. In the fifth, Devin Hairston left the yard for a solo home run, his second career professional round-tripper.

In a comeback effort, the Cougars got one run back in the sixth and added another in the eighth. In the sixth frame, Thompson started the rally with a double off the left field wall and scored on a groundout off the bat of Anfernee Grier.

Trailing 3-1, the Cougars grabbed their first lead of the game in the eighth. To lead-off the inning, Thompson slugged his first home run of the season to cut the deficit to one. Anfernee Grier followed up with a single, and scored on a wild play. On an infield single from Marcus Wilson, an error from the pitcher Nattino Diplan (3-9) was answered by a throwing error from the right fielder Orimoloye. With Wilson now on third, Hernandez came up with the go-ahead RBI single.