Pitching Leads Cougars in Game 1 Win
Published on September 3, 2025 under American Association (AA)
Kane County Cougars News Release
FRANKLIN, WI - In the first game of the Miles Wolff Cup Playoffs against the Milwaukee Milkmen, the Kane County Cougars picked up their eighth straight postseason win dating back to last season behind strong pitching in a 2-1 victory Wednesday night at Franklin Field.
It started as a pitchers' duel between the Cougars (1-0) ace Konnor Ash (1-0), and the lefty for the Milkmen (0-1) Juan Diaz (0-1). The two went tit-for-tat through the first three innings keeping the bats at bay, and the score level at zero. That changed in the bottom of the fourth with one swing off the bat from Andy Blake. He led off the inning with a big blast over the rightfield wall, trotted around the bases and gave the Milkmen a 1-0 lead.
Diaz went back out to the mound in the top of fifth inning with the lead. But that changed with the Cougars leadoff man Claudio Finol, who smashed a ball into left field and over the wall to tie the game 1-1. Later in the inning, Zane Spinn was taking a lead off first base, when a pickoff attempt went to the wall, and Spinn flew around second and into third. Josh Allen then poked a single through the middle of the infield and into center, scoring Spinn and giving the Cougars a 2-1 lead.
Ash left the game with the lead and turned things over to Casey Crosby in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, where he earned a strikeout. Crosby then struck out the next three Milkmen in order in the eighth, blazing fastball after fastball by them, to set up Jake Gozzo with a save opportunity in the ninth. Gozzo followed up Crosby's three-straight strikeout inning, with three straight of his own, making it seven consecutive strikeouts to close the show, giving the Cougars a tight 2-1 win, and sending them one game away from going to their second consecutive East Division Championship Series.
The Kane County Cougars will play game 2 in the Miles Wolff Cup playoffs Friday, September 5th at 6:30 PM against the Milwaukee Milkmen at Northwestern Medicine Field. If a game three is needed, it will also be played at home for the Cougars. For tickets and more, visit kccougars.com or call 630-232-8811.
American Association Stories from September 3, 2025
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