GENEVA, Ill. (July 9, 2021) – Ramon Hernandez blasted a pair of homers and Noah Vaughan added a three-run shot to back a strong team effort on the mound, as the Cleburne Railroaders knocked off the Kane County Cougars 6-1 on Friday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.

Hernandez’s homers were his 11th and 12th of the year, driving in three runs to give him 53 RBI on the year. With the performance, Hernandez retook the American Association lead in that category, one more than Milwaukee’s Adam Brett Walker. Hernandez connected for a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run homer in the ninth that produced the game’s final margin.

Vaughan’s homer in the fifth erased a 1-0 deficit to put Cleburne (26-20) in front for good. It came on a 1-2 pitch after Hunter Clanin doubled and Grant Buck worked a walk, putting the Railroaders ahead 3-1. Two batters later, Hernandez yanked a solo homer off Kane County starter Ben Allison (2-1) for a 4-1 advantage.

Austin Fairchild (3-3) pitched around trouble to hold Kane County (24-24) to one run over five innings. He struck out five, allowing four hits and four walks. Cleburne’s bullpen was excellent once again, getting one scoreless inning apiece from Taylor Wright, Michael Krauza, Edward Cruz, and Brendan Bell, who induced a 4-6-3 double play in the ninth to end the game.

The Cougars got their lone run in the bottom of the third on a solo home run from Josh Allen. After the fourth inning, they managed just one runner in scoring position the rest of the way.

The Railroaders and Cougars continue their series on Saturday night at 6:30 PM. Right-hander Garrett Alexander (5-4, 6.51) starts for Cleburne, while the Cougars counter with lefty Koby Bishop (0-2, 5.02).

For information on partnerships, season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Railroaders main office at (817) 945-8705, or visit the Railroaders official website at www.railroaderbaseball.com.

Boxscore

By Denning Gerig, Cleburne Railroaders