Cougars’ pitching comes through against Milwaukee

The Kane County Cougars won their second straight game against the Milwaukee Milkmen with a 5-1 victory Sunday at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.

Cougars (3-6) pitcher Konnor Ash (1-1) had another strong outing against the Milkmen (4-4), tossing 5 innings and only allowing one run while striking out seven to secure his first win of the season.

The bullpen continued its strong start to the season as Jake Gozzo, Jordan Martinson, Logan Nissen, and Tyler Beardsley combined for no earned runs while striking out six. The Cougars’ pitching staff as a whole combined for thirteen strikeouts.

Kane County’s Todd Lott picked up his fourth RBI and twelfth hit of the season when he doubled in Nick Dalesandro to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, after the Milkmen tied the game in the third, Josh Allen sneaked a ball between third and short to score Dalesandro for the second time, and regain the lead for the Cougars at 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lott reached third base after being hit by a pitch, and advancing twice on back-to-back wild pitches. Claudio Finol blooped a single to score Lott, and stretch the Cougars lead to 3-1. One inning later, the Cougars went ahead 4-1 on an RBI groundout by Armond Upshaw. In the eighth, Finol drove in Lott again with a single.