Cougars Crush Dogs to Win East Division Championship
Published on September 13, 2025 under American Association (AA)
Kane County Cougars News Release
ROSEMONT, IL - The Kane County Cougars are returning to the Miles Wolff Cup Final for a second straight year! In a decisive Game 5 of the East Division Championship Series, the Cougars routed the rival Chicago Dogs 10-3 at Impact Field in Rosemont on Saturday night. The bats racked up 10 runs on 13 hits, including three home runs. On the mound, Konnor Ash had another quality start to earn his third win of the postseason.
The Cougars jumped out to an early lead against Dogs starter John Baker in the top of the first. Trendon Craig worked a walk to lead off the ballgame. Two batters later, Marcus Chiu roped a double into left field to move Craig to third. Then, Todd Lott hit a fly ball into right field that scored Craig on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
In the top of the second, the Cougars added to the lead. Alex McGarry and Nick Dalesandro stroked back-to-back singles to start the inning. Following a Zane Spinn strikeout, Craig ripped a double into left-center that scored both runners to make it 3-0.
However, the Dogs quickly struck back against Konnor Ash (3-0) in the bottom of the second. Dusty Stroup led off the frame with a triple to right field wall. Tripp Clark then drove in Stroup with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Then, Johnni Turbo belted a solo homer to cut it to a 3-2 Cougars lead. Two batters later, Henry Kusiak cracked another solo homer to tie the score at three.
After the Dogs tied it, the Cougars punched right back in the top of the third against Patrick Pridgen (0-1). Lott singled to start the inning before Armond Upshaw doubled to right-center. Claudio Finol then drove home Lott with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3. Two batters later, Dalesandro singled up the middle to score Upshaw and get the lead back to two runs at 5-3.
One inning later, the Cougars stretched the lead back to three. With two outs, Finol smacked a solo homer to left-center off Pridgen to give the Cougars a 6-3 edge. In the top of the sixth, Kane County struck via the long ball once again. After Craig worked a walk, Josh Allen crushed a two-run bomb off the top of the batter's eye in center field to push the lead to 8-3.
Although he surrendered three runs in the second, Ash cruised the rest of the way. The Cougars ace finished the night allowing three earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts against only one walk.
In the top of the seventh, McGarry got in on the home run party. To lead off the frame, McGarry demolished a solo homer off the parking garage in right field to make it 9-3. Following McGarry's home run the Cougars added one more run in the top of the eighth on an RBI groundout from Lott.
In relief of Ash, Logan Nissen and Jake Gozzo combined to pitch three scoreless innings to close out the ballgame and clinch an East Division Championship.
The Cougars will take on the Sioux Falls Canaries in the Miles Wolff Cup Final. Games 1 and 2 will take place at Northwestern Medicine Field on Monday, September 15th and Tuesday September 16th. For tickets and more information call 630-232-8811 or visit kccougars.com/tickets.
American Association Stories from September 13, 2025
- Canaries Eliminate RedHawks in WDCS Game 5 - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- Canaries Advance to Miles Wolff Cup Final - Sioux Falls Canaries
- Cougars Crush Dogs to Win East Division Championship - Kane County Cougars
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