Written By: Dominic Stearn
Geneva, Ill. — Brooms were brought out by the Lake Country DockHounds at Northwestern Medicine Field as Lake Country swept the Kane County Cougars with a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon to secure the franchise’s first ever road sweep.
Brett Conine completed six innings in his fourth consecutive start while limiting the Cougars to only one run. Sunday marked Conine’s ninth quality start of the season as continues to be one of the best pitchers on Lake Country’s staff which has improved as the season has gone along.
It was never easy sledding for Conine against Kane County, though. Four times he stranded a runner in scoring position, each instance to keep the game tied at one.
JT Moeller walked the leadoff batter in the seventh inning as the first relief arm, but worked a scoreless frame. Then, Mitchell Mueller came in for the eighth and set down Kane County in order to successfully go back-to-back for the first time in his professional career. Alan Carter also went back-to-back and retired all three Cougars in the ninth inning to record his sixth save of the season.
Samuel Benjamin, in just his second start of the week, notched two hits, his second of which a leadoff double in the eighth for his first extra base hit in 11 days. With two outs and two strikes, Chavez Young doubled off the wall in right field to score Benjamin and put the DockHounds in front. Demetrius Sims singled on the next pitch to bring home Young and extend the lead.
Eleven games below .500 following a shutout loss, the Lake Country DockHounds are back to .500 for the first time this season. They are 22-11 since, and still lead the Milwaukee Milkmen for the final playoff spot by 1.5 games.
With 14 games to go, there will be 11 contests at Wisconsin Brewing Company Park during the final two weeks of the season as the DockHounds are gunning for its first postseason berth.
Monday opens a four-game series in Oconomowoc against the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Get your tickets now and be part of the excitement as the DockHounds make a push towards playoff baseball.
