Cougars swept in series by Loons

MIDLAND, MI. - Challenged for any offense in this series, the Kane County Cougars (9-19, 42-56) dropped all three games in the road series to the Great Lakes Loons (11-16, 40-57) falling Friday night by a 4-1 score. Against Eastern Division opponents in the second half, the Cougars are just 2-7 without a series win.

Raymel Flores had 2 of the Cougars 3 total hits, scoring the first inning run on a Trevor Mitsui groundout. Mitsui's 56th RBI ties him for 3rd in the Midwest League.

For the first time in the series, the Cougars took the lead. In the first inning, the Cougars received a base hit from Flores and Austin Byler reached on a fielding error. Driving in the run on the groundout, Mitsui made it 1-0 Cougars. That was a short-lived lead as the Loons took a 2-1 lead with one swing of the bat in the home half of the first. With a man on base against the Cougars' right-hander Max Duval (0-2), the Loons' first baseman Erick Meza blasted his third home run of the season. The go-ahead shot was measured at 342-feet over the right-field wall. In the second frame, the Loons padded their lead with an RBI knock from Omar Estevez.

Limited to just one hit until the seventh inning, the Cougars offense was silent against the Loons three pitchers. Great Lakes starter, right-hander Mitchell White (0-0) only pitched 2 innings giving way to a 6-inning performance from southpaw Michael Boyle. Boyle tossed 6 frames of shutout baseball on just 2 hits.

Breaking the no-hit streak of Boyle in the seventh, the Cougars Fernery Ozuna doubled but was stranded as the Cougars went just 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position this series.

After Great Lakes scored 3 runs in the first 2 innings, Duval exited after 4⅔ innings on 6 hits and three runs with 4 strikeouts and as many walks. A good end to his outing was followed up by magnificent work from right-hander Cody Clark (4-0) kept the Loons to no runs over 2⅓ innings.

Tacking on one more run in the eighth inning, the Loons held on in a masterfully pitched three-game series sweep over the Cougars. In his second try in as many starts, Duval picks up the loss, and Boyle's extended relief outing gives him the win.