DAYTON, Ohio – The South Bend Cubs broke a 1-1 tie with 10 runs in the eighth inning on the way to an 11-1 win over the Dragons in the second half season opener for both teams on Thursday night. A crowd of 8,453 was in attendance at Fifth Third Field.

The Cubs offense had produced just one run on four hits over the first seven innings, but their first seven batters all reached base and scored in the eighth, and they capped off the inning with a two-out, two-run home run by Eloy Jimenez. South Bend had six hits and four walks in the inning, and they also took advantage of one Dayton error, three wild pitches, and a passed ball.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Kevin Franklin doubled to right-center field with one out and then scored from second base with two outs when South Bend second baseman Carlos Sepulveda dropped a pop up in shallow right field for an error.

The Cubs tied the game in the sixth on a two-out, run-scoring single by Josh Silver before exploding for 10 runs in the eighth.

Dragons starting pitcher Ty Boyles pitched well but was not involved in the decision. Boyles worked six innings, allowing one run on four hits with four walks and one strikeout. The loss went to reliever Jeremy Kivel (2-3), who worked one inning and was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks.

The Dragons finished with seven hits. Franklin and Reydel Medina each had two hits including a double.

The Dragons (0-1, 21-50) host the Cubs (1-0, 42-28) at Fifth Third Field on Friday in the second game of the series at 7:05 p.m.