Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Kane County Cougars


July 6th, 2004

Winning games in the bottom of the ninth on errors and mental mistakes by the opponents, that doesn't seem like anything odd for this year Cougar team. The won in the bottom of the ninth after initally trailing in the game five to nothing going into the bottom of the sixth.

What a wild game, it started with a forty or so minute rain delay. In the first five innings the Cougars didnt seem like they were even there, they just werent sharp or anything. The Rattlers had a chance in the second inning to put some runs up on the board against starter Chris Dunwell. Bryan LeHair led things off with a single to right. Chris Collins then would strike out, on strike three LeHair was thrown out at second by David Harriman. Eric Blakeley then walked. Michael Nesbit would reach on a bunt singe to third. This ment runners on first and second with two outs. Wladimir Balentien then grounded out to third to end the inning. The Cougars meanwhile would get runners picked off base twice in the first four innings, and another one caught stealing.

The Rattlers put some runs on the board in the fourth inning. Chris Colton led off with a single to short. LeHair then singled to left. Collins would follow with a double to left to score Colton. Blakeley then singled to center to score LeHair. Nesbit singled to right to score Collins. Dunwell then got Balentein to strike out. Before the fifth pitch to Michael Cox, Nesbit would be picked off of first base. Cox walked two pitches later, then stole second. Josh Womack struck out to end the inning.

A throwing error by pitcher Brigmer Leon resulted in two runs for the Rattlers in the sixth. With one out, Nesbut singled to left. Balentien then singled to left. Leon tried to pick Nesbit off at second and would throw the ball into centerfield. The runners moved up one base on the throw. Cox singled to center to drive in both Nesbit and Balentien.

Finally in the bottom of the sixth the Cougars would show some life. Vasili Spanos doubled down the right field line. Dustin Majewski grounded one to short, the shortstop Cox's throw was low and got past the first baseman. Spanos went to third. Kory Wayment followed with a single to center to score Spanos. Two outs later, Nick Rogers doubled to center to score both Majewski and Wayment. The Rattlers then made a pitching change. They brought in Michael Hyrino to replace Ryan Feierabend. Brian Ingram then popped up tot he shortstop, only problem was that Cox dropped the ball, Rogers would score.

In the seventh there were more fireworks. With two outs, LeHair doubled to right. Collins then doubled down the left field line to score LeHair. In the bottom of the inning the Cougars would tie the game. Brian Snyder led off with a walk. Vasili Spanos then hit one hit off of the hitters backdrop in straigh away center field for a two run bomb. One out later Wayment singled to left, then was balked to second. Eddie Kim pitch hit for Trevor Brown. He would walk. Nick Rogers then lined one really hard right at the pitcher Hyrino. He would somehow catch the ball. Probly out of self preservation, and throw to first to double up Kim to end the inning.

Kane County actually went ahead int he bottom of the eighth inning. Rogers led off with a single to left. Ingram would walk. Luke Appert pitch hit for Luis Perez and struck out for the first out. Snyder singled to left to score Rogers to give the Cougars the lead. Snyder and Ingram then moved up on a double steal. The Rattlers made a pitching change to brigin Brad Rose to replace Kenly Chang. Rose struck out both Spanos and Majewski to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, things just didnt go to well. Womack led off with a walk. Nick Orlandos then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher J.R. Pickens.Orlandos was lucky he got that chance, on the first pitch he tried to bunt. The ball landed fair just in front of home plate. Orlandos ran into the ball and should've been called out. Womack would score and Orlandos went to third with nobody out. With the infield in Colton lined to short. LeHair was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Collins then bounced into an inning ending double play. Kim did a nice job of keeping his foot ont he bag

The bottom of the ninth was just wacky. With one out, on a broken bat bouncer to third, Kim just beat the high throw. Harriman would then reach on a fielder's choice, with Kim being out at second. Rogers singled to center. Ingram would then hit a high bouncer, this thing bounced really, really high to short. The throw from short was late. The first baseman turned to argue, and Harriman was running all the way and would just slide his hand in under the tag of the catcher for a Cougars victory.


Rattlers
Name POS AB R H RBI
Josh Womack DH 4 1 0 0
Nick Orlandos 2B 5 0 2 0
Chris Colton RF 5 1 1 0
Bryan LaHair 1B 4 2 3 0
Chris Collins C 5 1 2 2
Eric Blakeley 3B 3 0 1 1
Michael Nesbit CF 4 1 2 1
Wladimir Balentien LF 4 1 2 0
Michael Cox SS 3 0 1 2
Adam Jones SS
Cougars
Name POS AB R H RBI
Brian Ingram 2B 3 0 1 1
Luis Perez RF 4 0 1 0
Luke Appert PH 1 0 0 0
Chris Tritle RF
Brian Snyder DH 4 1 2 1
Vasili Spanos 3B 5 2 2 2
Dustin Majewski CF 5 1 0 0
Kory Wayment SS 5 1 2 1
Trevor Brown 1B 2 0 0 0
Eddie Kim PH/1B 1 0 1 0
David Harriman C 5 1 1 0
Nick Rogers LF 4 2 3 2


Cox 3 (24), Blakeley (5), Leon, Pickens, LOB-Rattlers-7, Cougars-9, RLISP-Rattlers-6, Cougars-5, 2B-LaHair (3), Collins 2 (14), Spanos (23), Rogers (9), HR-Spanos (10)(Hyrino)(3), RBI-Collins 2 (37), Blakeley (14), Nesbit (10), Cox 2 (30), Ingram (26), Snyder (50), Spanos 2 (59), Wayment (25), Rogers 2 (19), SB-Orlandos (5), Cox (3), Ingram (5), Snyder (3), CS-Orlandos (4), LaHair (2), Cox (3), Rogers (4), PiO-Nesbit (Dunwell), Balentien (Pickens), Ingram (Fierebend), Brown (Fierebend), DP-Collins (Pickenns)(6-3), Harriman (Hyrino)(L1-3)
Wisconsin 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 0 1 7 15 4
Kane County 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 1 1 8 13 2
Rattlers
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison WP BK HB AB BF GB FB NP S
Ryan Feierabend 5.3+1 6 4 1 4 4 ND 0 0 0 23 27 4 6 108 64
Michael Hyrino 1.1 2 2 2 2 1 ND 0 1 0 6 8 1 1 34 17
Kenly Chang 0.1+1 2 1 1 1 1 ND 0 0 0 3 4 0 0 16 10
Brad Rose 1.1+2 3 1 1 0 2 L (0-1) 0 0 0 7 7 2 0 12 11
Cougars
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison WP BK HB AB BF GB FB NP S
Chris Dunwell 5 9 3 3 2 6 ND 0 0 0 21 23 4 2 91 58
Brigmer Leon 2 5 3 2 0 1 ND 1 0 0 10 10 2 2 34 22
J.R. Pickens 2 1 1 0 2 0 W (4-2) 0 0 0 6 8 2 2 28 16
WP-Leon (3), IBB-LaHair (1)(Pickens)(3), BK-Hyrino (1), SO-Womack 2 (77), Colton (55), LaHair (11), Collins (40), Balentien (59), Appert (42), Spanos 2 (50), Majewski 3 (71), Brown (19), Rogers (47), BB-Womack (16), LaHair (6), Blakeley (18), Cox (36), Ingram 3 (53), Snyder (59), Brown (19), Kim (26), Rogers (26)
T-3:41
A-3,563




Alumni News:
Rex Rundgren promoted to Carolina (AA)