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Cougars earn first home win of season

The Kane County Cougars pounded out 16 hits in an 11-3 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday afternoon at Northwestern Medicine Field.

The Cougars (9-7) used four hits to score a first inning run off Bandits' (6-10) starter J.B. Bukauskas. Luis Silverio singled home the game's opening run. In the third inning, the Cougars chased Bukauskas from the game with Ernie De Le Trinidad's double to start the inning and Yoel Yanqui's single to put runners at first and third. Facing new Bandits lefty Parker Mushinski, Silverio singled home his second run of the day to make it 2-0 Cougars. Mushinski struck out back-to-back batters before Joey Rose laced a single to center, plating two more Cougar runs. The next batter, Manny Jefferson, tripled to drive in Rose. Jefferson scored from third when Bandits' catcher Gabriel Bracamonte's pickoff attempt escaped down the left field line.

The Bandits cut the Cougar's 6-0 lead in half in the eighth inning. Three walks loaded the bases for Bryan De La Cruz. He hit a two-RBI single to cut the Cougar lead to 6-2. Adrian Tovalin drove in the third run of the inning for the Bandits on a fielder's choice.

In the bottom of the eighth, Luis Silverio cleared the bases with a triple to put the Cougars back in front, 9-3. The Cougars added two more runs in the eighth on Will Gorman's RBI single and Manny Jefferson's sacrifice fly.

Cougars' starter Jeff Bain (1-0) earned the win with five shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out a career-high six batters and walking none. Carlos Bustamante pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning, striking out five of the six batters he retired. Erbert Gonzalez lasted just 0.1 inning, allowing three runs. Matt Peacock (1) earned the save, recording the final five outs of the game.

Bukauskas (0-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in 2-plus innings. Parker Mushinski gave the Bandits four innings of relief, allowing three runs on four hits, striking out six and walking one. Cole Watts allowed five runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. Robert Corniel recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning.

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