Written By: Dominic Stearn
Oconomowoc, Wisc. — For the third time in August, the Lake Country DockHounds broke out the brooms with a sweep of the Kane County Cougars. Thursday night was the third consecutive one-run win, this time finishing with the DockHounds on top 6-5.
One is now the magic number after the Milwaukee Milkmen were able to hold on and keep their playoff hopes alive, but one DockHounds win over the final four games will give Lake Country its first playoff berth.
Five runs in the top of the first created a sizable hole for Lake Country. Brett Conine settled in and dealt four scoreless innings to keep the DockHounds in the game.
Josh Altmann homered twice after not leaving the yard for two and a half weeks, with both being two-run shots, making it a one-run game in the fourth inning.
DockHounds relievers bullied Kane Country in the first two games, and the beat down continued in the finale. Shelby Lackey, Jack Washburn, Jake Cantleberry, and Jose Lopez combined to shutout the Cougars over the final four innings and each strike out multiple batters.
Ray Zuberer III tied the game at five in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot the other way. After fouling a ball off his foot, the DockHounds left fielder took an 0-2 pitch deep into the darkness of left centerfield.
Walks to newly acquired catcher, Luke Berryhill and Blake Tiberi with one out set up Chavez Young to lift the DockHounds ahead of the Cougars. It was Young’s second game-winning hit against Kane County this month.
The American Association’s Wisconsin matchup between the DockHounds and the Milkmen will carry even more heat than usual before a firework show postgame at Wisconsin Brewing Company Park Friday night.
