SOUTH BEND – For the second time in the last seven days, the TinCaps won a 15-inning game. On Friday night at Four Winds Field, Fort Wayne beat the South Bend Cubs, 4-3, just as the club had last Saturday over the West Michigan Whitecaps.

The TinCaps (18-23, 54-57) are now just a game behind the Lansing Lugnuts for the Eastern Division’s second half wild card with 29 games remaining in the regular season. Fort Wayne opens up a four-game series in Lansing on Saturday night.

Catcher Austin Allen provided the go-ahead hit for the TinCaps in the top of the 15th inning — a two-out single off Dillon Maples (L, 1-1) — to plate center fielder Rod Boykin from second base.

Corey Kimber, Lou Distasio, and Aaron Cressley (W, 1-0) teamed for 9 1/3 innings of scoring relief. Combined, they allowed only three hits and no walks, while striking out 12. This was after starter Emmanuel Ramirez fanned eight in 5 2/3.

Fort Wayne tied the game, 3-3 after scoring a run with two outs in the eighth and then again in the ninth. Boykin singled to center to bring in designated hitter Tyler Selesky for the game-tying run. Allen, who extended the Midwest League’s longest active hitting streak to 20 games, had his first RBI hit of the night in the eighth. He finished with four singles.

The Cubs (26-15, 68-42) initially led 1-0, and then 3-1 after Adonis Paulo drove in his second run on an RBI single in the sixth. South Bend started the scoring in the third on an Alberto Mineo sacrifice fly and Paulo added one in the fourth. Fort Wayne answered in the fourth with an Alan Garcia RBI single.

Fort Wayne will move on to play at Lansing Saturday night while South Bend stays home to entertain Great Lakes Saturday night.