By Mike Monaco

EASTLAKE, Ohio – Five outs away from a series sweep to begin the second half, South Bend faced a familiar foe. Lake County center fielder Greg Allen rocked a bases-loaded, two-run single to vault the Captains ahead and propel Lake County to a 6-3 come-from-behind win Sunday afternoon at Classic Park.

Allen, who had two-out, run-scoring hits in each of the previous two games, supplied the first of four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Lake County (1-3 second half, 36-34 overall) avoided the four-game sweep and topped South Bend (3-1 second half, 30-39 overall). The Captains snapped the Cubs’ season-best five-game winning streak.

Prized South Bend shortstop Gleyber Torres reached base three times and drove in the Cubs’ first two runs — the latter on a solo home run. The Venezuelan notched his 25th multi-hit game and leads the squad with 42 RBI.

South Bend starter Michael Wagner worked three-plus innings before exiting in the fourth after surrendering an RBI double. The right-hander logged his first start since Sept. 2013, when Wagner started for the Short-Season Boise Hawks in the Northwest League playoffs. Wagner fanned four and walked five Captains.

South Bend reliever Sam Wilson stranded two runners in the fourth after replacing Wagner. Wilson and fellow reliever Corbin Hoffner were activated from Short-Season Eugene earlier Sunday. Former South Bend pitchers Jeremy Null and David Garner were promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach. The southpaw Wilson struck out two in a pair of scoreless frames.

South Bend center fielder Charcer Burks worked a leadoff walk to begin the ballgame. He then moved to third on a throwing error by Captains catcher Martin Cervenka. Torres reeled Burks home with an RBI single off the third-base bag.

Torres then led off the top of the fourth inning with a line-drive solo home run to right field — his second long ball of the season.

The Captains trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when third baseman Taylor Murphy ripped an RBI double to score right fielder Anthony Santander.

Cubs second baseman David Bote smacked a double down the left-field line to begin the fifth, and he scored on a fielding error by Lake County second baseman Steven Patterson, stretching South Bend’s lead to 3-1.

Allen blooped a two-out RBI single to shallow left field in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Cervenka and pulling the Captains within one, 3-2.
In the eighth, Allen drove in two to give Lake County the 4-3 advantage before designated hitter Bobby Ison provided insurance with a two-run double to left field.

South Bend returns to Four Winds Field in South Bend, Indiana, on Monday at 7:05 p.m. ET to begin a three-game series against Lansing. Cubs right-hander Erick Leal (4.96 ERA) is set to oppose Lugnuts righty Conner Greene (3.96 ERA).