Cougars toss shutout win

Notching a season-best 16 hits, and logging shutout number nine, the Cougars bested the Chiefs, 10-0, snapping a campaign-long four-game losing skid.

The Cougars also snapped a five-game losing skid against Peoria dating to September 2015. Joel Payamps (1-3) contributed the Cougars' 13th quality start.

A run parade began almost at the crack of the first at-bat for the Cougars, who scored against Chiefs starter, right-hander Junior Fernandez, in the first inning. Lead-off man Jason Morzowski's hardliner was mishandled in center field, and Robelys Reyes knocked him in for a sacrifice fly, gracing the Cougars with a 1-0 lead.

That early surge helped the Cougars further an offensive explosion, scoring 2 more runs in the third frame. After back-to-back hits, Trevor Mitsui scalded an RBI triple to the right-center gap, making it a 3-0 Cougars advantage.

Just the beginning of a litany of offensive fireworks, the Cougars scored runs from the third through seventh innings, 10 in total, to match a season high.

Headlining the firepower for the Cougars were Zach Nehrir, Mitsui, and Sergio Alcantara. Nehrir finished 5-for-5 on the evening, matching the most hits for a Cougar this season. Mitsui went 3-for-5, a homer shy of the cycle with two RBI. Alcantara blasted his first home run of 2016, a 3-run shot in the fifth inning, that cemented the fate of the contest.

Payamps notched his first victory of the season in his most potent outing. He went 6 innings on 5 hits, no runs, and 6 strikeouts. Junior Fernandez (3-3) took his first loss since May 1, and Carlos Hernandez (1) wrapped up a three-inning save.