Defensive miscues define Cougars' cold-weather loss

Despite excellent starting pitching, the Kane County Cougars (17-12) fell for the fourth time in the last five meetings to the visiting Great Lakes Loons (14-18) on a brisk Tuesday afternoon at Northwestern Medicine Field. Two errors in the seventh and ninth innings led to three key runs for the visiting Loons who evened the season series.

In the first inning, the Loons struck first with a run to take a 1-0 lead. As the Cougars starter Sam McWilliams (3-1) tossed over 20 pitches in the frame, the Loons scored on a throw to second base as Zach McKinstry wheeled home from third base.

The lead was short-lived as the Cougars tied the game in the home half of the second. Jose Herrera set the table with a double down the left field line and scored on an opposite field RBI single for Jazz Chisholm. Herrera has now accounted for three total runs in the series.

Both starters were dominant keeping the game tied through six frames. For the Cougars, McWilliams completed a quality outing going six innings on just two hits, one run (one earned), with two strikeouts and a walk. Matching the starter, Loons lefty Leo Crawford (2-2) logged six innings on four hits, one run (one earned), with five strikeouts and no walks.

Great Lakes manufactured the go-ahead run on a costly error in the seventh inning. With Brendon Davis on first, a shallow fly ball to center field was dropped by Anfernee Grier, scoring Davis, and send the batter Mitchell Hansen to second as Great Lakes went up 2-1.

And in the top of the ninth, the Loons took advantage of another error to score two more runs. After a mistake by Jazz Chisholm at shortstop, the Loons stocky left-handed swinger, Mitchell Hanson, crushed a two-run homer off righty Sam Lewis (0-0) to seal the game's fate.

Crawford notches the win, righty Tyler Mark (1-1) the tough luck loss on just one unearned run, and right-hander Patrick Duester (1) grabbed his first save. The Cougars finish off the series with Great Lakes at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Cougars are still yet to announce their starter as Great Lakes will put right-hander Dustin May (0-1, 2.96 ERA) on the mound.