Big rally lifts Kane County Cougars to 10-9 win

Another thrilling game from Fifth Third Bank Ballpark turned into Kane County victory as the Cougars (44-20, 80-52) erased a 6-run deficit to defeat the Beloit Snappers (27-36, 53-80) 10-9 Tuesday night.

The Cougars' victory and a Peoria Chiefs' win moved the magic number for a second-half Western Division championship to 3.

After Cody Stull (3-4) struck out the side in the seventh inning, he quickly found trouble as Victor Reyes and Ildemaro Vargas both reached with one out. Colin Bray then launched a 2-run triple to tie the game and complete the 6-run comeback. After a pitching change, Marty Herum lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly to give the Cougars' their first lead of the day.

Zac Curtis made it an interesting ninth as he put the first two runners on with a hit by pitch and a walk but struck out the side to seal the victory and collect his Midwest League-leading 32nd save.

Beloit scored quickly with 5 runs in the first two innings and, after the Cougars scored their first run in the third, it was a 7-1 Beloit advantage by the fourth inning.

The Cougars retaliated with 2 runs in the fourth on a double by Stryker Trahan and a sacrifice fly by Henry Castillo.

For the final time in the game, the Snappers scored as they scored 2 runs in the fifth for a 9-3 advantage.

Scratching across a run in the fifth, the Cougars scored 7 straight runs. Reyes connected on an RBI single before Cody Regis brought the Cougars within 2 with a 2-run double.

Luis Ramirez (2-1) picked up the win with a perfect top of the eighth.

The Cougars head to Quad Cities for their final road trip of the regular season. Wednesday's matchup features The River Bandits' Rogelio Armenteros (1-0, 0.00) and the Cougars' Jared Miller (4-4, 5.92). First pitch from Modern Woodmen Park is scheduled for 7 p.m.