MEXICO CITY – In another high-scoring affair, the Kane County Cougars outlasted the Leñadores de Las Tunas of Cuba 19-15 to advance to the Baseball Champions League Americas 2025 Semifinals. The victory completed a perfect 2-0 run through Group B of the BCL in the round robin portion of the tournament.
After a 16-14 win on Tuesday, today’s game featured even more offense. The two teams combined for 34 runs and 42 hits. Shed Long Jr. led the way for the Cougars (2-0), finishing the day 4-for-6 with a home run, double and five RBI. Dayson Croes came through with a four-hit ballgame after his 6-for-6 performance in the BCL opener. In total, six different players collected at least three hits for Kane County.
The Cougars jumped out to a big lead in the bottom of the second. Facing Las Tunas (1-1) starter Albert Vallardes, Brantley Bell started the rally with a single through the left side before Josh Allen worked a walk. After a fielder’s choice put runners at the corners, Armond Upshaw hit a hard ground ball that was mishandled to bring home Allen and make it 1-0. Following Upshaw, Long Jr. crushed a mammoth, three-run homer to right field to make it 4-0. Long’s home run travelled an astounding 471 feet.
Later in the second, the Cougars struck via the long ball again. Following a Max Murphy single, Dillon Thomas belted a two-run shot to right field to make it a 6-0 lead. Allen capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run bloop double off Keniel Ferraz to give Kane County an eight-run advantage.
However, Las Tunas quickly responded to the big inning. Yosvany Alcaron got Las Tunas on the board with a two-run single off Cougars’ starter Chris Mazza to make it 8-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars added to the lead via another big fly. To lead off the inning, Bell stroked another single. Two batters later, Hayden Dunhurst homered just inside the foul pole down the right field line to give the Cougars a 10-2 edge.
Following a Las Tunas run in the top of the fifth, Todd Lott flared an opposite field single that put the Cougars lead back to eight runs at 11-3.
In the top of the sixth, Las Tunas responded in a big way. The Cuban champions put up eight runs in the inning to tie the game at 11. Yosvany Alarcorn and Roberto Baldoquin each had two-run doubles before Yordany Alarcorn delivered the tying hit on an RBI single.
The Cougars struck right back in the bottom of the sixth. Dayson Croes got the scoring started with an RBI single off Dariel Gongora De La Torre. After Frank Medina entered on the mound, Max Murphy welcomed him with a run-scoring double to make it 13-11. Kane County added one more run in the frame on a Thomas groundout to go in front 14-11.
Las Tunas continued to go punch-for-punch with the Cougars, striking for three in the top of the seventh. Luis Vicente Mateo cracked a two-run double to right center to pull the Leñadores within a run. Yoelkis Guibert then tied the game with a single through the middle that made it 14-14. Daniel Bies (1-0) recorded the final out of the seventh to send the game to the stretch level at 14.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars went back in front for good. With runners at first and second, Long Jr. delivered an opposite field double off Medina to put Kane County back ahead 16-14. Two batters later, Murphy ripped a triple to center field to score Long Jr. and stretch the lead to 17-14. The Cougars went on to add two more runs on singles by Thomas and Lott to make it a 19-14 advantage.
Following the five-run inning, Cougars’ reliever Jake Gozzo came through with a huge top of the eighth. Aided by a double play, the right-hander worked around a single to toss a scoreless inning and preserve the five-run lead. The scoreless inning was the first half inning without a run in the ballgame since the top of the fourth.
For a second straight game, George Tsamis turned to Tyler Beardsley to record the final three outs. Although Beardsley surrendered a solo homer to Roel Santos, he retired Rafael Viñales for the final out to secure the 19-15 victory.
The Cougars next take the field on Saturday, April 12th in a BCL Semifinal Matchup. Live coverage will air on Ryz Network, the Unbeaten Channel, Fubo Sports Network and AABaseball.TV.
By Conor Clingen of the Kane County Cougars