Napoleon grad Art Warren pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief Monday for the Kane County Cougars in Game 1 of their best-of-5 East Division Championship Series in the American Association’s Miles Wolff Cup Playoffs.
Warren, 33, picked up his first hold in three postseason appearances after earning two wins in the Cougars’ first-round playoff series. On Monday, the former Wildcat came on with two outs in the seventh and the tying run at first against the Milwaukee Milkmen. Warren got a strikeout to end the frame and pitched a scoreless eighth, finishing with one hit, zero walks and three strikeouts.
Milwaukee won 13-0 Tuesday in Game 2 and 3-0 Thursday in Game 3 with a potential elimination game for Warren’s Cougars played Friday night, with Game 4 ending after press time.
Fellow Napoleon grad Landon Willeman is also in the independent ball postseason for the Evansville Otters in the Frontier League. His squad won a 14-13 Game 1 triumph against the Washington Wild Things in the Midwest Conference Finals before going up 2-0 in the best-of-five series with a 12-3 win Wednesday. Game 3 was Friday, concluding after press time. Willeman — who did not pitch in either of the two games vs. Washington — made 21 regular-season starts for Evansville (3-7, 6.09 ERA, 84 strikeouts, 102 innings).