Kane County Cougars top Clinton 2-0 in chilly season opener

There's something special about opening-day baseball.

"It's when you know that it really is baseball season," Kane County Cougars manager Vince Harrison said before the club's home opener Thursday.

"Up to this weekend it's like the Final Four is really what's coming up, it's March Madness," Harrison said before his managing debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Class A affiliate.

A light rain wiped out batting practice and the temperature felt like 37 degrees when Cougars starting pitcher Jackson Goddard delivered the first pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Class A affiliate against the Clinton LumberKings.

But they got the game in at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva. In the Cougars' 29th season opener and fourth straight against Clinton, the home team won 2-0 in front of 2,461 chilled fans.

Scoreless though six innings, Kane County broke through with a run in the seventh. The Cougars loaded the bases against losing pitcher Nestor Bautista on singles by Andy Yerzy and Eduardo Diaz and a walk to center fielder and Mt. Carmel graduate Alek Thomas. Brandon Leyton's infield chopper allowed Yerzy to score on a fielder's choice.

The ball might have traveled only 70 feet before being fielded, but it will look like the proverbial line drive in the box score.

"(I'm) happy for me," said Leyton, a native of Nicaragua. "I feel excited because I want to help my team, you know? That's what I was thinking, only help my team always."

The Cougars added an insurance run an inning later when Zac Almond's soft liner to center field scored designated hitter L.T. Tolbert.

Both teams displayed pitching that left the bats like the weather … cold.

Clinton starting pitcher Chris Vallimont struck out eight batters and allowed only 1 hit through 5 innings.

Goddard stranded seven baserunners through his 3 innings, catching Clinton's Thomas Jones looking on a curveball for a called third strike with the bases loaded.

Winning pitcher Andy Toelken allowed 1 hit and struck out five in four innings. The Cougars' Ethan Larrison earned the save with 3 strikeouts in 2 innings pitched.

"I think everyone including their guys did a good job battling and just filling up the zone," Toelken said. "I mean, it's hard when you go out there and you can't really feel your hand for the first couple of pitches or innings, so I think both teams did a good job of attacking and letting the defense play."

At noon Friday, South Elgin graduate Ryan Weiss will take the mound for the Cougars.

"It's good to be with all the guys that you've been with in spring training and now going to battle with all of them," Weiss said of Thursday's debut. "It's going to be the start to the journey of what's to come for all of us. It's going to be fun to watch, and I'm very happy that it's finally here."