Fast Start by Cougars is Too Much for Rattlers

GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars scored three runs early in Monday's game at Northwestern Medicine Field and it was enough to beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Kane County beat the Rattlers 4-2 as Wisconsin dropped the final game of its six-game road trip.

The Cougars (60-45 overall, 25-11 second half) jumped to a 3-0 lead with five hits and a walk in the first inning. The first run scored on a single and an error. Back-to-back RBI singles by Dominic Fletcher and Blaze Alexander plated the other two runs to stake Kane County to the early lead against Logan Gillaspie.

Gillaspie settled in after the first inning and didn't let the Cougars score again while he was in the game.

Wisconsin (51-54, 20-16) rallied with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Yeison Coca started the uprising with a one-out single to move his current hitting streak to nine games. David Fry and Thomas Dillard followed with walks to load the bases. Kekai Rios cashed in Coca and Fry with a two-out single to right and the Rattlers were within a run.

Leugim Castillo started the Wisconsin fifth inning with a double and Korry Howell followed with a bunt up the third base line that was perfect…too perfect. The bunt left the Cougars with no play at first, but Castillo rounded third base and was caught too far off the bag. The throw by catcher Tim Susnara back to third base got Castillo trying to dive back and stopped the Wisconsin rally in its tracks.

Kane County got a pair of two-out hits to plate an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Susnara started the inning with a single. Reliever Chad Whitmer struck out the next two batters, but Alek Thomas singled with a hard shot off the off the glove of Connor McVey to keep the inning alive. Zach Shannon made Wisconsin pay with an RBI single to left to score Susnara for a 4-2 lead.

The Rattlers did not threaten in the eighth or ninth innings. The only runner they had in the last two innings was a two-out walk to Fry in the eighth. Former Timber Rattler Jose Cuas tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save of the season with the Cougars.

Wisconsin finished their six-game road trip with a 2-4 record. They trail Kane County in the race for the second half Western Division title by five games. The Rattlers are three games behind the Clinton LumberKings for the second half Western Division Wild Card spot.
The Timber Rattlers return home to Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium to begin an eight-game homestand. Game one of the homestand is Tuesday night against the Clinton LumberKings. Freisis Adames (2-1, 3.11) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Clinton will counter with Tanner Andrews (4-4, 3.93). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.
Show your business card at the box office to receive Tuesday's Business Persons Special from Baker Tilly, WNAM, and WVBO. The offer is a box seat ticket, a hot dog or brat, and your choice of beverage for $17. This offer is also open to military personnel with valid ID.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:15pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.