Loons Reign On Cubs
By Mike Monaco
SOUTH BEND — After a 90-minute pre-game rain delay and a 42-minute pause in the fifth inning, Great Lakes finalized a 15-0 win over South Bend in Saturday night’s rubber game at Four Winds Field.
The Loons (26-34 second half, 64-64 overall) plated three runs in the first, two in the second, five more in the fifth, one in the sixth and another in the eighth to topple the Cubs (30-31 second half, 59-69 overall) with an 20-hit performance.
South Bend starting pitcher Zach Hedges allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits and a pair of walks and was lifted in the top of the fifth inning with nobody out.
Cubs designated hitter Jeffrey Baez (2-for-4) collected another multi-hit effort.
Loons first baseman Brian Wolfe smacked an RBI single in the top of the first inning to put Great Lakes ahead 1-0. Great Lakes designated hitter Justin Chigbogu followed two batters later with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to deep center field.
Great Lakes leadoff man Michael Ahmed rolled an infield single toward third to score shortstop Jordan Tarsovich and push the lead to 4-0. Center fielder Logan Landon then singled, and Ahmed scored on a South Bend error.
Chigbogu struck an RBI double in the fifth to stretch the lead to 6-0. Left fielder Federico Celli then tacked on an RBI triple. Then Tarsovich cracked an RBI single into left field to make it 8-0. Third baseman Matt Beaty and Wolfe followed with run-scoring hits to widen the gap to 10-0 before the second rain delay. Celli later scored on a slow roller on the infield.
Loons catcher Julian Leon skied a solo home run to left field in the eighth against Cubs infielder-turned-reliever David Bote, making it a 12-0 lead.
Ahmed teed off on a three-run shot in the ninth.
South Bend travels to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to start a three-game series with the Hot Rods on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. ET. Cubs right-hander Erick Leal (4.24 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Bowling Green righty Yonny Chirinos (1.65 ERA).
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