Cougars blast 17 runs in series clincher

For the third time this season, the Kane County Cougars (47-43) scored at least 17 runs in one home game as they took the rubber game Thursday from the Lincoln Saltdogs (41-49) at Northwestern Medicine Field. The offense collected 20 hits, with 9 extra-base hits, and the Cougars won 17-2.

By the third inning, it was 12-1 Cougars. Josh Rolette's two-run single and Alexi Pantoja's three-run homer in the first put the Cougars up 5-0 quickly. After Lincoln squeaked across one run in the second, the Cougars answered with a four-spot. It was highlighted by Nick Franklin's three-run home run off Lincoln starter Zach St. Pierre (0-2). Franklin's blast was his first as a Cougar, but actually his third against Lincoln when he belted two as a Sioux City Explorer. Ernie De La Trinidad, Nick Anderson and Jimmy Kerrigan all drove in runs in the third inning to put the Cougars ahead 12-1.

On the mound, Jack Fox (9-3) cruised to his seventh quality start of the season. After giving up one-run in the second, Fox retired 13 of the next 15 Saltdogs. He tallied four strikeouts, striking out the side in the third. After Fox, relievers Keith Rogalla, Tyler Koch and Jake Stevenson teamed up for three innings of one-run baseball to finish the game.

The Cougars shined defensively as well. In the second, Sherman Johnson made a diving grab to start an impressive inning-ending double play. Then Galli Cribbs Jr. turned heads with a sliding grab behind second base to put away Matt Goodheart in the fourth and an acrobatic bare-handed play to retire Josh Altmann in the seventh.

Multiple Cougars had big offensive nights. Anderson drove in two runs and scored twice. Johnson, Kerrigan, and Cribbs all had three hits. And on-base streaks continued for Ernie De La Trinidad (15), BJ Lopez (13) and Cribbs (4).

The Cougars can clinch as soon as Friday night in Milwaukee with a win and a Gary loss.