Cougars sweep Winnipeg, win Miles Wolff Cup championship
With a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes, the Kane County Cougars swept their way to the Miles Wolff Cup Championship.
The Cougars completed an undefeated run through the postseason to earn the 2024 American Association title. The win also secures the third league championship for the Cougars in franchise history, and the first since winning the Midwest League in 2014.
It was another tight affair with the Goldeyes, as the game entered the top of the seventh inning tied at three. Facing Winnipeg reliever Zac Reininger, Cornelius Randolph led off with a single. Todd Lott then cranked his second double of the night to deep center field to put two runners in scoring position. Josh Allen lined a single through the right side to score Randolph and make it 4-3. Following Allen’s single, Alex McGarry blooped a single to score Lott and give the Cougars a 5-3 advantage.
CJ Carter worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to put the Cougars six outs from a championship. In the eighth, Jordan Martinson entered but had to leave the game due to injury with a 2-2 count to Dayson Croes. Logan Nissen subbed in. After surrendering a single to Croes, Nissen recorded three straight outs to put the Cougars three outs away.
In the ninth, closer Tyler Beardsley entered looking for his fourth save of the postseason. Rob Emery hit a lead-off single, but Beardsley induced a groundout from Rob Emery. Beardsley struck out Nick Anderson. Roby Enriquez grounded right back to Beardsley, who flipped to first baseman Alex McGarry to secure the Miles Wolff Cup.
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Claudio Finol and Galli Cribbs Jr. both came through with RBI singles.
Cougars starter Tommy Sommer rolled through the first three innings, but Winnipeg responded with a run in the fourth. The Cougars struck right back in the top of the fifth. Randolph doubled and Lott drove him in with a double to make it 3-1.
Winnipeg scored a run in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game. Carter earned the win for the Cougars by allowing no runs in 1.2 innings. Cornelius Randolph was named Miles Wolff Cup Final MVP. The outfielder finished the series 6-for-12 with two RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base.
The Cougars claimed their first championship as members of the American Association. The Cougars also became just the third team in league history to go undefeated in the playoffs.