Cougars rally to keep playoff hopes alive

Fighting back from a 5-2 deficit, the Kane County Cougars captured a 6-5 victory over the Peoria Chiefs on Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva — holding their postseason elimination number at one because the Burlington Bees were rained out.

Trailing 5-2, the Cougars (67-71, 33-35) rallied as Kevin David singled home Alex Llanos in the fourth. In the sixth, the Cougars scored 3 runs to take the lead. Llanos singled and scored on Tim Ferguson’s single. Justin Trapp beat out a bunt single as Julio Aparcio scored the tying run. Justin Berg relieved starter Jeff Antigua and fired a wild pitch as Ferguson scored the go-ahead run.

Cougars relievers Rudy Brown (3-0) and Cody Fassold (second save) combined for 5 scoreless innings.

Trapp had launched a solo home run in the bottom of the first off Antigua (2-3) to start the game.

The Chiefs (62-74, 27-40) grabbed the lead in the second when Oliver Zapata delivered a 2-run double against Kellen Moen that scored Chadd Krist and Jacob Rogers.

The Cougars evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when Tim Ferguson doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jack Lopez. The Chiefs reclaimed the advantage in the fourth when Krist doubled and scored on Rogers’ single. Zapata walked to load the bases, and Bijan Rademacher hit a 3-run double to put the Chiefs ahead 5-2.