Kerrigan, Davis, Upshaw Homer Twice for Cougars, Railroaders Rebound

American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Rob Pannier recaps the seven great games in the American Association on Saturday, including the Kane County Cougars obliterate the Sioux Falls Canaries, the Kansas City Monarchs and Gary SouthShore RailCats split a double-header, and the Chicago Dogs defeat the Lake Country DockHounds.
Game Recaps for Saturday
Homers Power Cougars to Victory
The Kane County Cougars had three players hit two home runs, crushing the Sioux Falls Canaries, 20-1. Jimmy Kerrigan, Jonah Davis, and Armond Upshaw each homered twice. C.J. Eldred was the recipient of all that support, allowing one unearned run in 6.0 innings to earn his third victory of the year.
The Cougars dominated this contest from the start, scoring at least three runs in each of the first four innings to help them jump out to a 13-run lead. Upshaw got things going in the first, hitting a solo homer and Davis followed with a two-run shot two batters later. Kerrigan closed out the frame with an RBI single. An inning later, Davis connected for his 14th homer of the year, a two-run shot to extend the lead to seven. In the third, Kane County added three more runs, but did not need a homer to do so. Todd Lott added an RBI double in the fourth and Kerrigan hit his first home run of the game.
Sioux Falls got on the board in the fifth on an error, but Kane County added two more in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. Kerrigan hit his second homer of the contest in the seventh and Upshaw added his second homer in the eighth.
Every player in the Cougars starting lineup had at least one hit as the team recorded 23 hits in all. Kerrigan finished with four hits, and Olivier Basabe, J.D. Osborne, Davis, and Donivan Williams had three apiece. Davis scored twice and drove in five and Kerrigan drove in six.
Milkmen Rout Saltdogs
The Milwaukee Milkmen scored seven unanswered runs to close out the contest, defeating the Lincoln Saltdogs, 9-2. Both teams scored two runs in the first with Luke Roskam hitting a two-run homer for the Saltdogs. However, it was all Milwaukee from there.
The Milkmen took the lead for good in the third on a sacrifice fly by Gabriel Cancel and blew this game open in the fourth, scoring four runs. Cam Balego delivered a two-run double. Milwaukee added two more in the eighth.
Christian Young allowed two runs in five innings to earn his sixth win of the year. Three relievers combined to toss four scoreless frames to close out the contest. Roy Morales was 3-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Yanio Perez had two hits for Lincoln.
RailCats-Monarchs Split Double-Header
The Gary SouthShore RailCats made an improbable comeback in the opening contest to earn a split of their double-header with the Kansas City Monarchs. The RailCats found themselves trailing by three entering the final frame, blanked through the first six frames, but exploded for six runs in the seventh to earn a 6-4 victory.
Kansas City took the lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Chris Herrmann, his 15th of the year. In the fifth, the Monarchs added one more run and that looked to be more than enough support as the team used three pitchers to blank Gary SouthShore through six, however, the team turned to closer Patrick Weigel in the seventh and the RailCats rallied, scoring six runs on just three hits. Gary loaded the bases on a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Weigel then hit Michael Woodworth to drive in a run. Gio Diaz walked to drive in the second and Jackson Valera tied the score on an RBI ground out. Jesus Marriaga and LG Castillo followed with back-to-back singles to put the RailCats on top, and Marriaga scored on an error.
Harrison Francis earned the win, allowing three runs in six innings. DJ Wilkinson came on in the ninth and gave up a run, but still earned his eighth save of the year.
In Game 2, Zach Matson allowed two runs in six innings to earn his third win of the year as the Monarchs defeated the RailCats, 7-2. Matson allowed five hits and no walks while striking out eight. Micker Adolfo led the way for Kansas City, doubling twice as part of a three-hit performance while driving in five.
This game was scoreless through four, but this time it was the Monarchs who used the big inning to turn the tables, scoring four runs in the fifth on two hits. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Adolfo, who delivered a two-run double. An error and a sacrifice fly made it 4-0. Gary SouthShore added two in the sixth, but Adolfo sealed the victory in the bottom of the inning, delivering a bases-clearing double.
Dogs Hold Off DockHounds
The Chicago Dogs jumped out to a five-run advantage, then held on for a 5-3 victory over the Lake Country DockHounds. Chicago took the lead in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Dylan Rosa, his ninth of the year. In the third, Matt Bottcher drove home a run with a sacrifice fly and Nick Heath added a two-run double to make it 4-0. A passed ball in the fifth made it 5-0 and it seemed like this game was all but over.
However, the DockHounds refused to quit, finally getting on the board with two in the eighth as Demetrius Sims and Nick Banks delivered RBI singles. In the ninth, Dustin Woodcock cut the deficit to two, but Brian Schlitter struck out Thomas Jones to end the contest, earning his ninth save.
Railroaders Roll Past Goldeyes
The Cleburne Railroaders scored six in the third to help them defeat the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 11-2. Kevin Hilton was spectacular, allowing two unearned runs and just one hit in eight innings to earn his fourth win of the year.
Cleburne held a 2-0 lead entering the third, then scored six runs on four hits, sending nine men to the plate. Jarel McDade had an RBI double and Mark Kariviotis followed with a double-of his own, scoring two. Alex Jackson finished the inning off with a three-run homer, his second of the year. Winnipeg got on the board in the sixth, scoring twice, but Hill Alexander hit a two-run single in the eighth and Brian Klein hit a solo homer in the ninth to put this game away.
Winnipeg recorded just two hits in the contest as Hilton gave up a two-out single in the first, then did not give up another hit over the next 7.1 innings. Six players had two hits for the Railroaders.
Grauer Slows Explorers
Tyler Grauer allowed two runs in eight innings, earning his fifth win of the year, as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks defeated the Sioux City Explorers, 7-2. In a battle of two of the best pitchers in the league, Grauer easily outpaced Solomon Bates.
The RedHawks took control of this game early, scoring one in the first and third and adding four in the second. Scott Schrieber put his team on top with an RBI single in the first. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Evan Alexander made it 3-0. Correlle Prime extended the lead to five with a two-run homer, his 12th of the season. An inning later, Schrieber hit his fifth home run in his fifth game with the RedHawks.
Sioux City got on the board in the fourth, thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles by Wilfredo Gimenez and Miguel Sierra. However, it was all Grauer from there, who retired the next 11 batters he faced.
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Armond Upshaw (Kane County Cougars) 2-5, 2, 2 HR, 4 RBI
No. 2 – Jonah Davis (Kane County Cougars) 3-4, 4 R, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 RBI
No. 1 – Jimmy Kerrigan (Kane County Cougars) 4-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI
American Association Daily Notes
Lincoln Saltdogs catcher Luke Roskam extended his hitting streak to 16 straight games, hitting his 10th homer of the season. That is the second longest streak in the American Association this season… For the first time in American Association history, three players from the same team homered twice in the same game. Jimmy Kerrigan, Jonah Davis, and Armond Upshaw each homered twice to help set the mark… In an interesting oddity, all 12 teams are either on one-game winning streaks or one game losing streaks… The 20 runs scored by the Cougars was the most by a team this season.
Transactions
Kane County: Signed OF Todd Lott; Released LHP James Reeves and LHP Luke Westphal
Milwaukee: Placed INF Drew Ward on the Injured List retroactive to July 6
American Association Stories at Minor League Sports Report
TWITA: Kevin Luckow and Robert Pannier
Lincoln Saltdogs C Luke Roskam Named Player of the Week
Sioux City Explorer RHP Trenton Toplikar Named Pitcher of the Week
By Robert Pannier