Cougars win home opener in extra innings

The Kane County Cougars ended Tuesday’s home opener in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 walk-off win in 10 innings over the Sioux Falls Canaries at Geneva’s Northwestern Medicine Field.

Entering the top of the 10th, the game was tied 1-1. Sioux Falls (3-1) plated a run with an RBI single by Spencer Sarringar off Ryan Nutof (1-0) to score the placed runner. Kane County (3-1) responded in the bottom of the 10th. To lead off the inning, Cornelius Randolph laced a double into right field, scoring the placed runner Ernny Ordoñez to even the score at 2-2. Todd Lott singled and Josh Allen was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Then, Jonah Davis lifted a high fly ball to center field that was caught, but went deep enough to score Cornelis Randolph and give the Cougars a 3-2 victory.

Before the late drama, Sioux Falls jumped to an early lead in the top of the second against Cougars’ starter Nick Belzer. Liam Spence drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 1-0.

Kane County evened the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth against Sioux Falls starter Ty Culbreth. Davis led off the inning with an opposite field double and reached third on a bunt single by Claudio Finol. Two batters later, Galli Cribbs Jr. grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Davis and tie the game 1-1.

After struggling in the second, Belzer earned a quality start. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits across six innings of work while striking out five hitters. Jordan Martinson, Mike Brewer, and Nutof relieved Belzer. The trio combined to surrender one unearned run across four innings.

The Cougars continue the series with the Canaries Wednesday at Northwestern Medicine Field. Left-hander Tanner Brown (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill for Sioux Falls against Cougars’ lefty Alex Troop (1-0, 0.00).