Kane County Cougars at Cedar Rapids Kernels


April 11th, 2002

Cougars
Name POS AB R H RBI
Anthony Brewer CF 4 0 1 0
Hunter Wyant 2B 3 0 1 0
Scott Hicks LF 4 0 0 0
Juan Carlos Garcia 1B 3 0 1 0
George Arnott DH 4 0 0 0
Charlie Frazier RF 2 1 1 1
Michael Tucker 3B 3 2 0 0
Winton Zapey C 4 0 2 0
Rex Rundgren SS 4 0 1 1
Kernels
Name POS AB R H RBI
Ransel Melgarejo CF 4 0 1 0
Jeff Mathis DH 3 1 1 0
Casey Kotchman 1B 4 0 2 0
Greg Porter RF 2 0 0 1
Dallas McPherson 3B 4 0 0 0
Mike Napoli C 4 1 1 0
Tommy Murphy SS 3 0 1 0
Jon Cahill 2B 4 0 0 0
Ed Welch LF 2 0 1 1
Ryan Nevins PH 1 0 0 0

Kane County 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 7 0
Cedar Rapids 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0

LOB KC-6, CR-7, 2B-Garcia, Kotchman, Napoli, HR-Frazier (O'Sullivan), SB-Melgarejo, Welch, CS-Brewer, HBP-Porter, SACF-Porter, SACB-Murphy

Cougars
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Allen Baxter 4 6 2 2 2 2 ND 73 p
Jon Asahina 4 0 0 0 0 3 W (1-0) 47 p
Kevin Cave 1 1 0 0 0 2 SV (2) 16 p

Kernels
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Jake Woods 5 4 1 1 3 4 ND
Jaime Steward 2 1 0 0 1 1 ND
Dustin Griffith 1 0 0 0 0 1 ND
Mark O'Sullivan 1 2 2 2 1 2 L (0-1)

HB-Baxter, BK-O'Sullivan, SO-Brewer, Hicks, Arnott 3, Frazier, Zapey, Rundgren, Melgarejo, Mathis, Napoli 2, Cahill 2, Nevins, BB-Wyant, Garcia, Frazier 2, Tucker, Mathis, Welch
T-2:43, A-1,547
U-Stewart, Mark Kaylor


Voice Of A Season Ticket Holder
by David Malamut
The Cougars did something tonight that they had only done once this year. They won a game, and they did it in the ninth inning after being behind the whole game.

The Marlins third pick in the 2001 draft, Allen Baxter made his Midwest League debut tonight. He pitched four inning, giving up six hits and two runs. He also walked two and struck out two.

The pitching star of the game was Cougars reliever Jon Asahina. Jon pitched four perfect innings. He also did not walk any one and he struck out three. The funny thing is he got all but the last two outs that he did not get with a strikeout, on the ground.

Kevin Cave came in too ge this second save of the year. He ptiched the ninth inning, giving up one hit. Kevin struck out two.

Jake Woods the third pick in the 2001 draft for the Angles started for the Kernels. He pitched well, going five inning, giving up four hits, and one run. He walked three and struck out four.


The scoring began in the second inning for the Kernels when, Mike Napoli lead things off with a double to left. Tommy Murphy then sacrificed him over to second with a bunt. Jon Cahill then foul poped back to the catcher. Ed Welch then grounded one over to third, Michael Tucker's throw was late, Welch got the hit, and on the play Napoli scored.

Jeff Mathis added to that lead in the third when, he walked to lead off the inning. Casey Kotchman then doubled to right. Greg Porter hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Mathis from third.

The Cougars put a run on the board in the fifth when, with one out. Charles Frazier walked. Michael Tucker grounded to first, and the first baseman Kotchman tried to get the 3-6-3 double play but the throw back to first was late. Winton Zape singled to center to allow Tucker to get to second. Rex Rundgren then singled to left to score Tucker to put the Cougars on the board.

In the ninth the Cougars just put together a couple of runs to take the lead. With two outs, Charles Frazier hit a homer to left to tie the game off of Mark O'Sullivan. Michael Tucker then walked. Winton Zapey singled to right to get Tucker to third. This is when things got weird. Rex Rundgren had apeard to strikeout to end the inning. but wait the base ump called a balk on O'Sullivan to allow Tucker to score to get the Cougars the lead.

Cedar Rapids Gazette
by Jim Ecker

The Cedar Rapids Kernels collected two more "first" at their new ballpark Thursday night.

Manager Todd Claus had his first argument with an umpire, and the Kernels lost their first game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Kane County, down to it's last out, trimmed Cedar Rapids 3-2 in a Midwest League game before 1,263 fans.

The Cougars tied the game, 2-2 on a two out homer by Charles Fraizer in the top of the ninth. The winning run scored a few moments later on a balk called against Kernels closer Mark O'Sullivan.

Claus argued the balk call with base umpire Matt Kaylor, who claimed O'Sullivan did not pause long enough on his 0-2 pitch to Rex Rundgren with runners on first and third.

Rundgren struck out on the pitch, but it was waved off and the go ahead run was waved home from third.

Claus said he was watching O"Sullivan and did not see a balk. "It's just a big call in a crucial time." Claus said, disappointment in his voice.

O'Sullivan appeard stumped, "I don't know what the call was, usually the thing they get you for is not stopping. i don't know, maybe that was it.."

Claus agreed it was comparable to a basketball offical calling a controversial foul in the final second to decide a close game. According to an unwritten rule in sports, you don't make those calls, letting players decide the game, not the refs.

"Comparable to that, yes," Claus said.

Cedar Rapids (5-2) has come close to a 7-0 start, losing 4-3 in 16 innings at Quad City and 3-2 last night.

"Winning teams, and good teams win the one run ball games," Claus said, "Anybody can win the blowouts. Anybody can win an 11-4 game or 7 to nothing game. But the good ball teams win the close games. We've had two one run games and lost them both."

The Kernels wasted another strong effort by their pitchers. Starter Jake Woods allowed one run in five innings, then relievers Jaime Steward and Dustin Griffiths carried a 2-1 lead into the ninth, when Clause gave the ball to O'Sullivan.

"It's disappointing," O"Sullivan said, "We're used to winning and we've got a good attitude about it."

Play By Play

Cougars 1st
Brewer, singles to right
-Brewer, caught stealing second, catcher Napoli to short stop Murphy.
Wyant, walks
Hicks, grounds into double play, Wyant out at second, short stop Murphy to second baseman Cahill to first baseman Kotchman
Cougars 0, Kernels 0

Kernels 1st
Melgarejo, pops up to centerfielder Brewer
Mathis, singles to center.
Kotchman, singles to left, Mathis moved to second.
Porter, hit by pitch, bases loaded.
McPherson, grounds into double play, Kotchman out at second, first baseman Garcia to shortstop Rundgren to first baseman Garcia.
Cougars 0, Kernels 0

Cougars 2nd
Garcia, walks
Arnott, strikes out
Frazier, strikes out
Tucker, flies out to centerfielder Melgarejo
Cougars 0, Kernels 0

Kernels 2nd
Napoli, doubles to left
Murphy, sacrifice bunt, out, pitcher Baxter to first baseman Garcia, Napoli to third.
Cahil, pops up foul to catcher Zapey
Welch, singles to third base, Napoli scores.
-Welch, steals second
Melgarejo, grounds out, short stop Rundgren to first baseman Garcia.
Cougars 0, Kernels 1

Cougars 3rd
Zapey, strikes out
Rundgren, flies out to rightfielder Porter
Brewer, strikes out
Cougars 0, Kernels 1

Kernels 3rd
Mathis, walks
Kotchman, doubles to right, Mathis moved to third.
Porter, hits a sacrifice fly to centerfielder Melgarejo, Mathis scores.
McPherson, grounds out short stop Rundgren to first baseman Garcia, Kotchman moves to third.
Napoli, strikes out
Cougars 0, Kernels 2

Cougars 4th
Wyant, singles to left.
Hicks, grounds into a double play, Wyant out at second, short stop Murphy to second baseman Cahil to first baseman Kotchman
Garcia, grounds out short stop Murphy to first baseman Kotchman
Cougars 0, Kernels 2

Kernels 4th
Murphy, grounds out first baseman Kotchman, unassisted
Cahil, strikes out
Welch, walks
Melgarejo, singles to left, Welch moves to third
-Melgarejo-steals second
Mathis, flies out to left fielder Hicks
Cougars 0, Kernels 2

Cougars 5th
Arnott, grounds out second baseman Cahil to first baseman Kotchman
Frazier, walks
Tucker, reaches on fielder's choice, Frazier out at second, first baseman Kotchman to short stop Murphy.
Zapey, singles to center, Tucker to third.
Rundgren, singles to left, Tucker scores, Zapey to second.
Brewer, grounds out to first baseman Kotchman, unassisted.
Cougars 1, Kernels 2

Kernels 5th
Pitching Change:Jon Asahina replaces Allen Baxter
Kotchman, grounds out, third baseman Tucker to first baseman Garcia.
Porter, grounds out, third baseman Tucker to first baseman Garcia.
McPherson, grounds out first baseman Kotchman unassisted
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Cougars 6th
Pitching Change:Jaime Steward replaces Jake Woods
Wyant, flies out to centerfielder Melgarejo
Hicks, grounds out to second baseman Cahil to first baseman Kotchman
Garcia, doubles to right.
Arnott, strikes out
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Kernels 6th
Napoli, strikes out
Murphy, grounds out short stop Rundgren to first baseman Garcia
Cahil, grounds out second baseman Wyant to first baseman Garcia
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Cougars 7th
Frazier, walks
Tucker, pops up a bunt attempt to catcher Mathis
Zapey, pops up foul to short stop Murphy
Rundgren, pops up to centerfielder Melgarejo
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Kernels 7th
Welch, grounds out, pitcher Asahina to first baseman Garcia
Melgarejo, strikes out
Mathis, strikes out
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Cougars 8th
Pitching Change:Dustin Griffiths replaces Jaime Steward
Brewer, grounds out second baseman Cahil to first baseman Kotchman
Wyant, lined out to centerfield Melgarejo
Hicks, strikes out
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Kernels 8th
Kotchman, grounds out to first baseman Garcia, unassisted
Porter, lines out to first baseman Garcia
McPherson, lines out to first baseman Garcia
Cougars 2, Kernels 2

Cougars 9th
Pitching Change:Mark O'Sullivan replaces Dustin Griffiths
Garcia, grounds out to second baseman Cahil to first baseman Kotchman
Arnott, strikes out
Frazier, homerun
Tucker, walks
Zapey, singles to right, Tucker to third.
-O'Sullivan, balks, Tucker scored, Zapey to second.
Rundgren, strikes out
Cougars 3, Kernels 2

Kernels 9th
Pitching Change:Kevin Cave replaces Jon Asahina
Napoli, grounds out to short stop Rundgren to first baseman Garcia
Murphy, singles to center
Cahil, strikes out
Pitch Hitter:Ryan Nevins replaces Ed Welch
Nevins, strikes out
Cougars 3, Kernels 2