GENEVA, Ill. -With a steady rain
falling and a delay likely, Max Stassi
delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the
bottom of the seventh inning Thursday night
to lift the Cougars to a 5-3, rain-shortened
victory over the Peoria Chiefs at Elfstrom
Stadium. The Cougars trailed, 3-2, when the
frame began, and they rallied to take the
lead, win the game and eliminate Peoria and
Wisconsin from post-season contention.
Clinton and Beloit were suspended by rain in
their game, so for the time being the
Cougars have pulled into a tie with Clinton
for the top playoff spot in the Western
Division and lead Beloit by 1.5 games for
the Wild Card with four games left.
The Cougars had stranded nine runners and
never led through six innings. Then Leonardo
Gil hit a one-out solo homer in the seventh
off Yohan Gonzalez (1-2) to tie the game,
3-3. Rashun Dixon singled and took second on
a wild pitch as the rain began to fall, and
Jason Christian drew a walk. That set up
Stassi, who, with the rain starting to pour,
lined a single to center to score Dixon, and
Christian came around as the throw got away
behind home plate to make it 5-3.
Bo Schultz (6-1) picked up the victory in
relief. He worked two scoreless innings and
gave up one hit. Starter Jonathan Joseph
took home a no-decision, yielding three runs
-- all in the first two frames -- over five
innings. The Cougars got their first two
runs in the third on a wild pitch that
scored Jose Crisotomo and a bases-loaded
walk to Mitch LeVier.
The Cougars (36-29, 68-66) and Chiefs (31-33, 69-64)
conclude the set Friday night at 7 CT. Chris
Mederos (6-5, 3.34) will face Brett Wallach
(6-3, 4.16). The game will be broadcast on WBIG
1280-AM and www.kccougars.com with pre-game
coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.