Cougars Fall in 2011 Season Opener
April 7, 2011 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
APPLETON, Wisc. - The Kane County Cougars opened their 21st season of baseball on Thursday night but fell, 9-3, against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field. Brett Eibner homered in the first inning -- in his first professional at-bat -- but the Cougars fell behind in the bottom of the first and never recovered. They had won seven of their last 10 season openers before Thursday's defeat.
Eibner belted a two-out solo shot off Austin Ross (1-0) in the top of the first to give the Cougars an immediate 1-0 lead, but starter Leonel Santiago (0-1) labored through a three-run frame in the bottom portion before settling down. Santiago retired eight straight hitters from the second through the fourth before allowing three runs in the fifth and departing. Mitch Hodge replaced him and yielded three in the sixth for a 9-1 Rattlers lead.
The Cougars fought back with two runs in the seventh off Tyler Cravy, as Angel Franco and Ryan Jenkins hit consecutive run-scoring singles to make it 9-3, and that became the final. The Cougars committed three errors and were outhit, 14-6, in the loss.
The Cougars (0-1) and Rattlers (1-0) continue the four-game series Friday night at 6:35 CT. Sugar Ray Marimon (NR) will take the mound for the Cougars against Matt Miller (NR) of Wisconsin. The game will be broadcast on WBIG 1280-AM and online via kccougars.com with pregame coverage starting at 6:20 p.m.
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