By Mike Monaco

DAYTON, Ohio — South Bend’s road woes continued, as the Cubs dropped their 10th away game in their last 11 tries, falling to Dayton, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field in the middle game.

The Cubs (20-27) scored two runs in the fourth and nudged within one in the eighth but could not muster anything else against the Dragons (25-22). South Bend has only scored in two of its last 20 innings. Cubs second baseman Andrew Ely (2-for-5, one run, one double), designated hitter Yasiel Balaguert (3-for-4, one home run, two RBI) and third baseman Jason Vosler (2-for-4, one RBI) all posted multi-hit outings.

Dayton right-hander Mark Armstrong scattered seven hits in 5.1 innings, adding four punchouts. Cubs righty Trevor Clifton lasted 4.2 innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) on four hits, five walks, two hit batters and two errors.

Dragons catcher Garrett Boulware floated an RBI single to shallow right-center, scoring third baseman Gavin Lavalley, who began the bottom of the second with a sharp double down the left-field line.

South Bend evened the score in the top of the fourth as Balaguert stroked a two-out RBI single down the left-field line to plate Ely from third. The tally broke a 14-inning scoreless stretch for the Cubs. Cubs catcher Gioskar Amaya placed a bloop single into left center, and Vosler dropped an RBI base knock of his own to right-center to lift South Bend ahead 2-1.

Dayton answered in the home half of the fourth on a two-out, two-run home run by Kronenfeld, handing the Dragons a 3-2 advantage.

The Dragons pushed across another run in the fifth with a hit batsman and four walks, as Cubs left-hander Jordan Minch walked in a run after relieving Clifton.

Balaguert pulled South Bend within one, 4-3, with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning. The Cuba native has five consecutive multi-hit games and is now 11-for-19 during the stretch.

Dragons reliever Conor Krauss earned the save in the ninth to seal the victory, though the Cubs put the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first in the final frame.

South Bend and Dayton conclude their three-game series Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio. Cubs right-hander Ryan Williams (4-1, 0.59 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Dragons righty Tyler Mahle (4-3, 3.08 ERA).