Cougars belt four homers to beat Monarchs

The Kane County Cougars hit 4 home runs and overcame an early 3-0 deficit to earn an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs on Friday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.

Trailing the Monarchs (46-26) 4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cougars (37-36) began a home run barrage against Kansas City reliever Frank Rubio (2-2). After Jimmy Kerrigan singled to lead off the inning, Dylan Busby crushed a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence to give the Cougars their first lead of the game at 5-4. Two batters later, Luke Mangieri belted a solo shot over the right field wall to make it 6-4 Kane County. It was Mangieri's first home run as a member of the Cougars.

In the bottom of the seventh, Cornelius Randolph smashed another solo shot to right, making it 7-4. One inning later, Mangieri blasted his second long ball of the night over the right field fence to make it an 8-4 Cougars edge.

Kansas City threatened in the eighth, as the Monarchs loaded the bases against Ben Allison. However, Ryan Richardson recorded a strikeout to leave the bases loaded. Though the Monarchs added another run on a Matt Adams double in the ninth, Richardson was able to close the door and earn the save in an 8-5 victory.

After the Monarchs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a pair of hits from Matt Adams in the first and third innings, Kane County began to come back in the bottom of the fifth. Sherman Johnson led off the frame by drawing a walk against Monarchs' starter Nick Belzer. Later in the inning, Galli Cribbs Jr. singled to put two runners on for Ernie De La Trinidad. The Cougars lead-off man promptly roped a triple down the right-field line to score both baserunners and make it 3-2.

Following De La Trinidad's triple, Alexis Pantoja hit a line shot RBI single to tie the game at three. However, the Monarchs did take the lead back against starter Vance Worley (6-7) in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Kevin Santa before the Cougars came back once again.

Worley earned the victory, allowing four runs on five hits across six innings of work. Out of the bullpen, C.J. Carter pitched a scoreless frame and Ben Allison pitch two-thirds of a scoreless eighth before Richardson came on for the four-out save.