Cougars win again in extra innings

For the second night in a row, the visiting Kane County Cougars beat the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-6 in extra innings at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Cougars won in 15 innings Wednesday and pulled out a comeback win in 10 innings Thursday. They never held a lead until Orlando Calixte, who went 4-for-5 with 4 RBI, singled home Jovan Pickett with the go-ahead run.

The Cougars are back in sole possession of first place in the Western Division and own a 2-game lead over Beloit for the top playoff spot in the division.

The Cougars fell behind, 4-0 in the third inning when the Whitecaps scored against starter Santiago Garrido, who lasted 5 innings and got a no-decision.

The Cougars got on the board in the sixth with an RBI single from Geulin Beltre, and they scored twice in the seventh with a run-scoring single by Calixte and a Whitecaps error.

After West Michigan got one back in the bottom of the seventh against Cole White, the Cougars tied it at 5-5 in the eighth on Calixte’s 2-run single.

Chas Byrne yielded an unearned run in the eighth for a 6-5 deficit, but the Cougars answered in the ninth.

With outs and Julio Aparicio at first, Angel Franco singled to left, and the Whitecaps threw the ball away at third trying to get Aparicio, who scored to tie it.

Then Calixte singled in the 10th to bring home Pickett for a 7-6 lead. Byrne (3-1) picked up the victory.