Cougars tie series on Roneberg's homer

Bottom of the ninth in a playoff game, Two outs, two strikes, score tied.
Every American boy dreams of grabbing a bat in that situation and winning the game.
Don't forget Australian boys.

Wednesday, Kane County rightfielder Brett Roneberg, a 20-year-old native of Cairns, Australia, smoked a 1-2 curve ball from Quad City reliever Saul Rivera over the right-centre field wall to give the Cougars a 5-4 win and even the best-of-three first round Midwest League playoff series.

The victory, in front of 888people at Elfstrom Stadium, mandates a deciding game today at 6.30p.m.
The winner plays the victor of the Clinton-Burlington series. If it's the Cougars, they will open on the road Friday, then return for Saturday, and if necessary, Sunday games.

Roneberg's ninth home run of the season capped his 3-for-4, 3 RBI night and made a winner of side-arming reliever Scott Clackum, who threw 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

"We all know his best pitch is his curveball. I was just trying to see it and hit it," Roneberg said. "If it was down a little bit lower I don't think I would have hit it as good, but it was hanging and I hit it good."

Quad City right fielder Michael Restovich can attest to that. Restovich turned to the fence, but his head was tilted up as he ran.
"I turned just because of instinct," Restovich said. "I was pretty much sure it was gone. I was hoping maybe something would happen - hit a bird or something."

The homer only made Restovich feel worse. Clackum struck him out minutes earlier to end the Quad City ninth with men on first and third.
The Cougars had scouted well.
"I've had trouble with Clackum, and pretty much a lot of the side-armers in the league," said Restovich, who led the River Bandits with a 0.312 batting average, 19 home runs and 107 RBI in the reular season.
"He's not the kind of guy that goes more than an inning or two, but they kept him in for me because they knew he kind of had my number."

Quad City took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off lefty Nate Robertson, and the Cougars tied the score in the bottom half on shortstop Derek Wathan's double, and RBI singles from Roneberg and designated hitter Matt Padgett.

The hosts claimed a 3-2 lead in the third inning on centre fielder Willy Hill's triple and another Roneberg single.

Quad City went ahead 4-3 in the seventh. Robertson left after walking the first two batters, and after a sacrifice bunt, Cougars second baseman Jesus Medrano threw away the relay throw to first on a potential 6-4-3 double play. Two runs scored.

The Cougars tied the score in the eighth on the strength of slugger Jose Santos' overlooked baserunning. Santos, who led the team with 19 homers and 105 RBI, stole second and took third on a dropped third strike play at first. Catcher Matt Treanor brought in Santos with a sacrifice fly. Cougars manager Rick Renteria also credited Padgett, who forced the throw to first, by running after the strike out.
"If he stays there and lets the guy tag him, the guy doesn't make the throw, Santos doesn't read the play, doesn't get over to third," Renteria said. "That was huge."