Cougars fall 4-2 to close trip

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. — The Kane County Cougars (32-47, 2-11) tied the game twice Wednesday night but were unable to get the lead against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a 4-2 loss at Fox Cities Stadium.

Left fielder Victor Roache was a home run shy of the cycle and drove in a pair of runs for the Timber Rattlers (34-44, 5-8). Roache drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning on a triple against Cougars starter Michael Heesch (3-7).

Mike Garza followed and drove Roache in with a single. Heesch went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits while walking one and striking out none.

Dan Vogelbach drove in 2 runs and went 3-for-4 for the Cougars. He tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning. With Gioskar Amaya at third, Vogelbach drove him in with an infield single by rolling a slow groundball up the middle.

After the Timber Rattlers took the lead in the fourth, Vogelbach tied the game again in the sixth. Albert Almora accepted a leadoff walk before Vogelbach’s RBI double.

Winning pitcher Jorge Lopez (4-6) worked 7 innings for the Rattlers and struck out five while walking one. He allowed just 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits. Taylor Mangum (fourth save) struck out three and did not allow a run in the seventh and eighth innings.

The Cougars’ bullpen was stout in the loss. Both Armando Rivero and Stephan Perakslis turned in identical lines, each working a scoreless inning.

The Cougars return to Fifth Third Bank Ballpark on Thursday for Independence Day against the Quad Cities River Bandits at 6:30 p.m. In the opener of a five-game series, Felix Pena (2-2) will start for the Cougars against righty Juan Minaya (1-1).