Cougars cap another four-game sweep of Sioux Falls

The Kane County Cougars completed a four-game sweep of the Sioux Falls Canaries Sunday afternoon at Northwestern Medicine Field, using a late go-ahead run and another strong bullpen effort to secure a 4-3 victory.

The Cougars (36-31) wasted little time taking control in the first inning. Armond Upshaw opened the game with an infield single before Josh Allen collected the 999th hit of his professional career. Todd Lott followed with a 2-run double for a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Zane Spinn added an RBI single to give Kane County a 3-0 advantage.

Tommy Kane navigated through early traffic on the bases, escaping jams in both the second and fourth innings with inning-ending double plays to preserve the lead.

Sioux Falls (36-32) finally broke through in the fifth and tied the game at 3-3. Canaries starter Christian Edwards settled in after the opening inning, retiring 14 of the next 15 Cougars hitters and finishing six innings with three earned runs allowed.

The decisive run came in the seventh. Upshaw walked, advanced to second on a groundout, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on another wild pitch to give Kane County a 4-3 lead.

The Cougars’ bullpen made the lead stand. Zach Veen worked a scoreless sixth before Casey Crosby (2-0) escaped trouble in the seventh to earn the victory. Logan Nissen struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Jake Gozzo retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out the final two hitters to record his American Association-leading 14th save.

With the win, Kane County completed its second four-game sweep of Sioux Falls this season and extended their season-best winning streak to five games.