Connor Grey Tosses Perfect Game

23-year-old Connor Grey completed the first ever perfect game in Kane County Cougar history on Friday evening from Ashford University Field. Grey's gem completed a 5-0 win over the Clinton LumberKings (31-35, 62-72) as the Kane County Cougars (32-35, 71-63) took the rubber game in their final road contest of 2017.

CLINTON, Iowa - 23-year-old Connor Grey completed the first ever perfect game in Kane County Cougar history on Friday evening from Ashford University Field. Grey's gem completed a 5-0 win over the Clinton LumberKings (31-35, 62-72) as the Kane County Cougars (32-35, 71-63) took the rubber game in their final road contest of 2017.
The right-hander from New York retired all 27 Clinton LumberKings with exactly 100 pitches, 70 of them for strikes. Grey also fanned eight LumberKings, one shy of his season high. Despite a career-like outing, it was Grey's second complete game of the season as he worked nine innings against the Cedar Rapids Kernels two outings ago.
The Cougars offense instantly supported Grey as they batted around in the first inning scoring five runs. Jose Herrera started the scoring with an RBI single. Two batters later Stephen Smith stretched his on-base streak to 13 straight contests with a bases-clearing triple. Adam Walton tacked on one more run with an RBI single to score Smith and make it a 5-0 Cougar advantage.
Grey collected five punch outs through the first five frames and did not have another strikeout until the eighth inning. He started off the ninth with a couple of looking strikeouts to Jhombeyker Morales and Nick Thurman. Louis Boyd was the final batter, and he lifted a lazy pop fly to right field to secure the perfecto.
Grey's masterpiece was the first perfect game thrown by a Midwest League pitcher since Chris Coughlin of the Burlington Bees on June 30^th, 2004.
The Cougars now head home to begin their final three-game series of the regular season, a three-game date against the Peoria Chiefs. Sam McWilliams (11-6, 2.89) will take the mound for the Cougars against Peoria's left-hander Austin Warner. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. Gates will open from Northwestern Medicine Field at 4:30p.m. For tickets call 630-232-8811 or visit kccougars.com.