Cougars slug way to first 2010 victory

After suffering a doubleheader sweep Friday night, the Kane County Cougars rebounded Saturday afternoon, slugging their way to a 10-5 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field to earn their first win of the season. Every Cougar had at least one hit, and starter Dan Straily tossed five solid innings to snag the victory.

The Cougars broke a scoreless tie with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by Rashun Dixon's RBI double and Myrio Richard's two-run double. Then in the fifth Franklin Hernandez drove in a run and Leonardo Gil smashed a run-scoring double for a 7-0 game.

Straily (1-0) yielded his only two runs in the fifth and left after the frame. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked one and fanned six for the win. Bo Schultz gave up three runs in the sixth to make it 7-5, but the Cougars answered against the Rattlers' bullpen. Max Stassi launched a solo homer in the seventh, and Conner Crumbliss nailed a two-run single in the eighth to account for the 10-5 final. Josh Lansford and Jose Guzman each pitched a scoreless relief inning to finish the contest.