Cougars hang on to take series win

A five-run ninth inning made things interesting at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon in Geneva, but the Kane County Cougars held off the Lake County Captains for a 6-5 victory to take two out of three from an opponent for the first time at home this season.

Santiago Garrido (3-0) was impressive from the start for the Cougars (10-9) as he limited Lake County (5-14) to just 3 hits over 6 innings while not allowing a run. He also retired 12 consecutive batters while the Cougars’ offense rewarded him with a healthy lead.

Jorge Bonifacio doubled home Michael Antonio in the third inning and scored on a base hit by Lane Adams, which extended Adams’s hitting streak to 15 games. In the fifth inning, the Cougars went up by three on Danny Mateo’s second home run of the season. They grabbed a six-run cushion in the sixth with three more runs as Justin Trapp brought Edul Escobar home with a sac fly while Bonifacio and Adams each added an RBI to make it 6-0.

Brooks Pounders recorded the final eight outs in place of Garrido but struggled in the ninth. A double, walk and Pounders error loaded the bases with no outs while the Captains recorded three straight run-scoring hits to pull within two and put the tying run on base. Todd Hankins added a sac fly, but Jerrud Sabourin was stranded at first when Francisco Lindor punched out to end the ballgame.

The Cougars hit the road on Wednesday night when they battle the Lansing Lugnuts at Cooley Law School Stadium with a 6:05 first pitch. Right-hander Aaron Brooks starts for the Cougars against fellow righty Jesse Hernandez (1-1).