Comeback Cougars do it again
The Kane County Cougars scored 6 runs in the seventh inning to beat the Clinton LumberKings 9-4 in front of 8,758 at Elfstrom Stadium on Saturday. The Cougars have won seven of their last nine night games and came from behind to win for a third straight night.
The Cougars trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh. First Conner Crumbliss singled, and Tyreace House walked against Ryan Moorer (0-1). Then Anthony Aliotti poked an RBI single to tie it, and Mike Gilmartin reached on a run-scoring fielder's choice to make it 5-4. After Jose Crisotomo delivered an RBI infield single, 2 more runs scored on a pair of Clinton errors and Leonardo Gil singled home Jason Christian to complete the scoring.
The Cougars had 5 of their 11 hits in the seventh inning.
Cougars starter Rob Gilliam gave up 3 runs over 41/3 innings in a no-decision. Connor Hoehn (5-3) got the victory after allowing 1 run in 22/3 innings and Jose Pina tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Cougars (9-7, 41-44) and LumberKings (8-7, 45-39) continue the three-game series at 1 p.m. today.
Redhawks 5, Flyers 4: Fargo-Moorhead slugger Nic Jackson launched a seventh-inning grand slam off Schaumburg starter Ryan Gehring as the Flyers fell at Newman Outdoor Stadium.
Both Gehring (3-3) and Redhawks starter Jake Laber (5-2) retired the first six batters they faced. The Flyers broke through in the fourth as Travis Brown singled up the middle and Joey Gomes smacked a double off the center-field wall with two outs to put the Flyers up by 1.
The Flyers conclude their four-game set with the Redhawks at Newman Outdoor Field this afternoon before a three-day Northern League all-star break.
Bandits 10, Racers 0: A homer-filled third inning and a dominant effort from pitcher Kristina Thorson were more than enough as the Chicago Bandits continued to cruise against the Akron Racers at Judson University.
Stacy May and Samantha Findlay both hit 2-run homers in the third inning. Findlay leads the league in home runs with 6.
Thorson allowed 2 hits, both to Crystl Bustos.
Akron's best scoring chance came on the last out of the game as Angela Findlay made a leaping catch at the wall to thwart what would have been a 2-run homer.
The Bandits are tied for first with the Racers in the NPF standings at 12-8. The teams return for a matinee matchup at 2:05 today at Judson.
RiverHawks 2, Fielders 1: Ninth-inning home runs from Jason James and Patrick O'Sullivan powered Rockford past Lake County in the second game of their three-game series.
Fielders starting pitcher John Brownell threw 7 scoreless innings with 8 strikeouts in front of 3,781 at Fielders Stadium in Zion.
The Fielders scored in the fourth after Brandon Anderson drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on an Amos Ramon single. Josh Short hit into a 6-4-3 double play, but Anderson scored on the play to give the Fielders a lead.
The series wraps up at 1 p.m. today before the three-day Northern League all-star break. The Fielders are sending Garry Bakker to the mound on Lindenhurst Health and Fitness Family Day.