Cougars qualify for playoffs

A 7-1 win for the Kane County Cougars (39-19, 75-51) clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive year as they avoided the sweep from the Beloit Snappers (25-32, 51-76) Wednesday evening at Pohlman Field.

With 12 games remaining on the regular season, the Cougars have a two-game lead over the Peoria Chiefs. Peoria is one win shy of playoff berth of their own, making the Chiefs the likely candidate for the first round of the postseason. Whichever team comes out on top in the second half Western Division standings earns home-field advantage.

The Cougars grabbed the first lead of the game as Ildemaro Vargas came home on a wild pitch in the opening frame. Beloit quickly tied the contest with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first.

Both starting pitchers kept the game tied at one until Quinnton Mack took Brett Graves (12-7) deep in the top of the fifth for his second home run of the season. Cody Regis made it a 3-1 advantage with an RBI single to score Victor Reyes.

Brad Keller (8-9) finished his outing with five innings of one-hit one-run baseball and collecting three strikeouts. Ryan Burr picked up a hold tossing two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh.

Recording 16 hits on the evening, the Cougars provided more offense later in the game as Dawel Lugo's single scored Colin Bray. In the ninth, the Cougars added three more runs when Henry Castillo plated two on a triple and Marty Herum's RBI groundout made it 7-1.

Luis Ramirez took the mound in the eighth and ended up earning his eighth save of the season tossing the final two innings of the game.

The Cougars continue their road trip to Cedar Rapids. Thursday begins a three-game series against the Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Two left-handers will begin the series as Jared Miller (3-4, 6.60) will take the mound for the Cougars against Cedar Rapids' Randy Rosario (1-4, 3.92).