Kane County Cougars drop heartbreaker 5-3
Holding a lead heading to the final inning, the Kane County Cougars (35-44, 2-7) lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Quad Cities River Bandits (36-42, 5-4) as the Bandits scored 4 runs in the ninth inning to win 5-3.
Emilio Vargas (0-2) put together the best start of the season, pitching 7 quality innings in a no-decision and it looked like the Cougars 2 early runs would propel them to victory.
But in the ninth, the River Bandits pulled off a 4-run rally.
There was only one inning the Cougars solved left-handed starter Matt Bower's (2-0) breaking ball. That was the third when the Cougars plated two. With one down, Zach Nehrir sent double to the alley and Grant Heyman drove him in with an RBI single.
Two men later, Austin Byler came through with a two-out bloop single plating Heyman on a close play at home.
In the fifth inning, the River Bandits scored their first run. Collecting his third of five hits on the night, Myles Straw scored on a Joe Munoz ground ball.
It was the best start of 2016 for Vargas. He tossed a career high seven innings on 1 run, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts next to just 2 walks. He lowered his ERA to 5.28.
With the Cougars leading 2-1, Straw again reached base in the bottom of the eighth and advanced to third on a throwing error from reliever Julio Perez (0-0). But Perez rallied to strike out the side.
But the Bandits struck back in the ninth With Drew Muren (0-4) pitching, the River Bandits plated 4 runs catalyzed by an RBI base hit by Christian Correa. Bobby Wernes and Myles Straw added to the lead.
In the ninth, the Cougars plated one on an RBI hit for Joe Munoz, but the rally stopped there as Justin Ferrell (4-4) hung on for the final three innings in the victory. Muren suffered the loss and his second blown save.
Saturday, the Cougars play the sixth game of the homestand against the River Bandits at 6:30 p.m. Right-hander Justin Donatella (6-4, 3.82 ERA) starts for the Cougars against right-hander Franklin Perez (1-1, 3.23 ERA) for Quad Cities.