Cougars split with Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. — After inclement weather caused the first two games of the series to be postponed, the Kane County Cougars and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers finallly took the field Saturday at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Cougars (3-6) dropped Game 1 of a doubleheader 7-6 before bouncing back to take the nightcap 3-1 in 11 innings.

The Cougars’ Ian Dickson (0-1) was staked to a 4-0 lead in the opening game thanks to Oliver Zapata’s sacrifice fly that scored Willson Contreras, Rock Shoulders’ double that drove home a pair of runs and Marco Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.

But Dickson couldn’t hold the lead, coughing up 3 runs in the third and 3 more in the fourth.

In the fifth, Clint Coulter hit a solo home run to center that put the Timber Rattlers (3-4) ahead by 3.

In the Cougars’ sixth, Hernandez singled and scored on a wild pitch by Taylor Mangum (1-1). Dan Vogelbach ripped a homer in the seventh off Martin Viramontes. But Viramontes, who eventually earned a save, struck out Bijan Rademacher and Trey Martin with the bases loaded to preserve the lead.

Felix Pena started Game 2 for the Cougars and limited the Timber Rattlers to 1 unearned run on 5 hits. Chris McFarland reached on a Wes Darvill error with two outs in the fourth, and McFarland scored on Brent Dean’s single.

Dean gave that run back in the sixth inning on a passed ball that allowed Gioskar Amaya to score.

The Cougars finally broke the 1-1 tie in the 11th when Contreras smashed a 2-run homer off Taylor Wall (0-1) with Jeimer Candelario aboard. Eddie Orozco worked a scoreless bottom of the 11th to earn a save after Justin Amlung (2-0) had tossed 4 shutout relief innings.

The Cougars and Timber Rattlers play another doubleheader today. Cougars left-hander Michael Heesch will start Game 1 and righty Jose Arias the second game.