Dogs Halt Cougars Late Comeback in 10 Innings
Published on July 28, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Kane County Cougars News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars (31-31) erased a two-run deficit in the ninth inning but couldn't complete the comeback, falling 7-6 to the Chicago Dogs (21-41) in 10 innings Saturday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.
The Dogs struck first in the second inning when Ethan Wilder beat out a potential inning-ending double play, allowing Zack Stokes to score for a 1-0 lead. Kane County answered immediately after Charles Mack and Nick Dalesandro singled with one out in the bottom of the inning. Sam Dexter hit a ground ball that slipped through the legs of third baseman Cooper Weiss, allowing Mack to score and tie the game.
The Cougars took control in the third. Armond Upshaw and Matt Bottcher opened the inning with back-to-back singles before Josh Allen drew a walk to load the bases. Mack delivered a two-run single to put Kane County in front, and Dalesandro followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Chicago chipped away in the fourth, scoring twice with the help of a Cougars error before taking the lead in the fifth. Tyreque Reed lined a two-run double to right-center to give the Dogs a 5-4 advantage, and Cooper Weiss added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 6-4.
After Tommy Kane exited in the fifth, the Cougars' bullpen kept the game within reach. Jake Gilbert tossed 1.2 scoreless innings before Casey Crosby struck out two in a perfect seventh. Zach Veen followed with two more scoreless innings, and the trio combined to retire 11 consecutive Chicago hitters while striking out six.
Kane County mounted one final rally in the ninth against Chicago closer Austin Eaton. Upshaw, Zane Spinn, and Bottcher opened the inning with three straight singles to load the bases. Allen's sacrifice fly cut the deficit to one before Dalesandro came through with a two-out RBI single to right, scoring Spinn and tying the game at 6-6.
In the 10th, Zack Stokes began the inning at second base and scored when Reed shot a single through the right side to put Chicago back in front. The Cougars intentionally loaded the bases with one out, but Logan Nissen (1-2) responded by striking out a batter and inducing a weak groundout to limit the damage to a single run.
Chicago right-hander Regi Grace Jr. (4-7) returned for the bottom of the 10th after recording the final out of the ninth. Despite issuing a walk, he retired the final three Cougars to earn the victory and secure the series-evening win for the Dogs.
Mack finished with two hits and two RBI, while Dalesandro added two hits and two RBI of his own. Upshaw, Bottcher, and Spinn sparked the ninth-inning rally with consecutive singles, but Kane County stranded the tying run after its late comeback fell just short.
The Cougars will continue their four-game series with the Chicago Dogs tomorrow, Wednesday, July 29th at 11:30 AM at Northwestern Medicine Field. For more information, visit kccougars.com or call 630-232-8811.
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- Dogs Halt Cougars Late Comeback in 10 Innings - Kane County Cougars
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