8/9, Clinton 5, Cougars 3

Home cooking is supposed to be good for a team, isn't it? Well the Cougars have lost 9 out of their last 10 home games. This one at least was a close game, unlike what has happend latley, they actually had a chance to win the game.

Shawn Haviland has lost his last six decisions in his last nine outings. He held true to recent form today, he kept the team in the game. He had one bad inning, and that did the Cougars in. He would go six innings, giving up nine hits and four runs. He walked one and did not strikeout anyone, throwing 98 pitches.

The one inning, it really could've turned out diffrently had a couple of plays been made. With one out, Luis Nunez singled to right. Rightfielder Jeremy Barfield had a chance to make the play, but played it on the bounce. Nunez then stole second, Nate Tenbrink then doubled off the wall in right. Barfield took a bad route to the ball and should've made the play. Nunez would score on the double. Kris Sanchez then walked and would go to second on a passed ball. Jake Shaffer then took one out to right center for a two run homer to at that point make it a 4-2 game.

Besides that, Haviland pitched well, he had to get out of some trouble througout his performance. In the first inning he gave up two singles to leadoff the game. Haviland would pick off Kyle Seager from second, then get Tenbrink to fly to right. Barfield threw behind the runner at first to get the double play. The other run that Havialnd gave up came in the third inning. Shaver Hansen led off with a single to left. He would get to second on a wild pitch, then move to third on a sacrifice bunt by Daniel Carroll. Seager then hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Hansen.

In the fourth inning Haviland also had to get out of trouble. With one out he would give up two singles, but be able to get Travis Howell to ground into a double play. The second baseman Nino Leyja made a nice turn of the double play, while the runner was bearing down on him.

Daniel Thomas would come in and pitch two scoreless innings, giving up only one hit, but it wouldn't be that easy. Ryan Royster walked to lead off the seventh. Hansen would then bunt him over to second. Thomas then got Daniel Carroll looking and Seager grounded one back to him to end the inning. In the eighth it took a good relay throw to keep the inning scoreless. With two outs, Thomas hit Sanchez. Shaffer then doubled down the left field line. Leftfielder Carlos Arrieche threw to Tyler Ladendorf who made a nice relay to Dusty Napoleon to get Sanchez out at the plate.

The other run the Kings scored came in the ninth off of Matt Fitts. Travis Howell led off by taking four straight balls for the walk. Dotel Wellington then pitch ran for him. Remember at this point it is still a one run game. Royster singled to left. Hansen would then ground one to short, Royster would be out at second, and Hansen beat the throw to first. Carroll would then ground one to first. The Cougars would get Hansen at second, and the throw from Ladendorf was wide of first. Leyja did a nice job to get the ball, Wellington would score on the play.

The Cougars had their chances in the game, the would leave six runners on base, and three of them in scoring position. Leonardo Gil led off the first with a double down the left field line, two line outs and a ground out later, he was stranded. Jeremy Barfield led off the second with a single to left. Ladendorf then was hit by a pitch. Barfield would be caught stealing third on a hit and run.

Finally in the third inning the Cougars would come through with some runs. Chris Berroa led off with a triple. Well it was scored a triple, the centerfielder Ryan Royster, misplayed the ball, I thought it hit off of his glove and rolled, but he should've caught the ball. Gil then hit his first Cougar homer. This one onto the deck in right center.

The other run came in the sixth inning for the Cougars. Jeremy Barfield hit one to right center for his eighth homer of the year. In the seventh inning, Dusty Napoleon led off the inning with a single to right. Carlos Arrieche then reached on an error by the shortstop. Arrieche was looking like he was going to bunt, and pulled the bat back, and grounded one to short. With runners on first and second with nobody out, Chris Berroa tried to bunt. He foulded off two pitches and took two. He tried to bunt and would strikeout. Leonardo Gil would then fly to right. Leyja hit one to the warning track in left that would be caught to end the inning.

The Cougars had a chance in the ninth. With two outs, Arrieche had a good at bat, he fouled off four pitches, and eventually singled to right center. Franklin Hernandez then pitch hit for Berroa. He would end the game with a pop out to short.


Tomorrow vs Clinton @6:30
Bobby LaFromboise (7-6, 3.83) vs Murphy Smith (0-1, 2.63)


Today was Jimmy Buffet day at the Elf. I am not a fan of Buffet, and am even less of a fan of Buffet day. The music is not my kind of music. The special uniforms the Cougars wear are horrible. Green and white with flowers on them.