Cougars end losing streak with 5-1 win

A far different narrative from the three prior games of the series, the Kane County Cougars (21-28, 54-65) stormed to a victory over the visiting Cedar Rapids Kernels (28-21, 64-54) by a 5-1 tally. The Cougars snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Kernels dating back to July 10th. The Kernels still won the series, taking three of the four contests.

Scoring first for the only time in the four-game stretch, the Cougars offense entered with a fast and furious first inning. Marcus Wilson singled in the leadoff spot as the cog to the rally. Next, Fernery Ozuna doubled, putting two in scoring position. On a high fly ball to left-center field, Frank Christy's sacrifice fly graced the Cougars with a 1-0 advantage.

Adding to their lead in the third, it was Christy at the helm of the damage again. With another knock from Ozuna, Trevor Mitsui got in on the action with a base hit to put two Cougars on base. On a dribbler through the right side, Christy extended the Cougars lead to two with another RBI.

In the series, errors have riddled the stat sheet for the Cougars. It did again in the away half of the fifth, allowing the Kernels to get on the board. With right-hander Jose Almonte (2-3) on the slab, the Kernels' Jaylin Davis and J.J. Fernandez recorded back-to-back hits to start the frame. With the inning nearly over, Raymel Flores dropped what would have been the final out, a fly ball to shallow right field, as the Kernels made it a 2-1 deficit.

Erasing all hopes of a Kernels comeback, the Cougars received a helpful lift from Gerard Hernandez in the sixth. Hernandez blasted a two-run homer past center field, his fourth of the season. All of Hernandez's home runs have been two-run blasts. And with his third RBI of the afternoon in the seventh, Christy made it a three RBI day.

Tossing 5 innings on just 1 run, Almonte picked up the win. An inning shy of a quality start the Kernels Tyler Beardsley (0-2) suffered the loss.