Norwood, Cubs Crush In Victory
APPLETON, Wisc. – South Bend exploded for 12 runs on 14 hits to back a sterling start from James Norwood, and the Cubs steam-rolled Wisconsin, 12-2, in Friday night’s series opener at Fox Cities Stadium.
After a 49-minute rain delay, South Bend (24-23 second half, 53-61 overall) scored in seven different innings to drop the Timber Rattlers (16-30 second half, 39-77 overall), who only recorded three hits.
Norwood only allowed one hit in a career-best six innings, giving up a pair of unearned runs and two walks while fanning a career-high seven. Norwood began the night with 5.1 hitless stanzas. In his last two starts, spanning 11 innings, the right-hander has not been tagged with an earned run.
The Cubs have won three games in a row. Righty Ryan McNeil closed the night with three shutout innings.
South Bend center fielder Ian Happ (3-for-5, three runs, two RBI, one home run), second baseman David Bote (3-for-4, one run, two RBI, one walk), shortstop Gleyber Torres (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI, one walk), first baseman Matt Rose (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) and third baseman Jesse Hodges (3-for-5, four RBI) powered the offensive outburst.
With one out and two aboard in the top of the second, Hodges yanked an RBI double off the left-field wall, scoring Bote and lifting South Bend to a 1-0 lead. Hodges was activated from the disabled list before the game.
The Cubs placed two on in the third thanks to a pair of walks issued by Timber Rattlers starter Nathan Kirby. Happ supplied an RBI single to right field, and Bote smashed a two-run double off the right-center field wall to extend the lead to 4-0.
South Bend stretched its lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth when Happ rocketed a solo home run with two outs.
Hodges tallied his second RBI double in the sixth when he yanked a one-out offering down the left-field line to score Rose and make it 6-0.
Wisconsin placed leadoff man Omar Cotto at first on an error to begin the home sixth, and second baseman Blake Allemand delivered Wisconsin’s first hit of the night — an RBI double to make it 6-1. Timber Rattlers third baseman Tucker Neuhaus then lifted a sacrifice fly to score Allemand and cut the deficit to 6-2.
Torres scored from third on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh. Left fielder Charcer Burks then reeled in Happ with an RBI single ripped to left field, extending the margin to 8-2.
Cubs leadoff man Jeffrey Baez reached on a two-out error in the eighth, and Torres made Wisconsin pay with an RBI double to make it 9-2.
Rose struck an RBI single in the ninth inning to reach double figures.
South Bend and Wisconsin meet in the middle game Saturday at 7:35 p.m. ET at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin. Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett (4.52 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Timber Rattlers righty David Burkhalter (4.90 ERA).