The South Bend Cubs (46-32) outlasted the Cedar Rapids Kernels (33-46) in Tuesday night’s series opener at Veterans Memorial Stadium, winning by a 7-5 score in 10 innings. The Cubs overcame two different deficits in the middle part of the game before scoring twice in the 10th to earn the victory.
Click here to view Tuesday’s box score.
Right-hander Mason McGwire made the start for South Bend, delivering 4.0 solid innings with three strikeouts. Cedar Rapids opened the scoring against him in the third, using a two-out rally to jump ahead. Third baseman Henry Kusiak, who finished with a three-hit game from the nine-hole, cranked a double off the wall before right fielder Yasser Mercedes plated him with a looping single to right.
The Cubs wouldn’t answer until the fifth, as right-hander Xavier Kolhosser opened the game with three scoreless innings. South Bend left multiple runners on base in both the first and fourth innings, stranding 12 runners aboard for the full game. However, the Cubs didn’t miss out in their three-run fifth, as first baseman Josiah Hartshorn scored second baseman Christian Olivo with a single to tie the game. Shortstop Angel Cepeda then provided the lead with a sacrifice fly to center, and third baseman Matt Halbach added a third run with an RBI single.
South Bend’s lead wouldn’t hold up for long, as the Cubs turned to their bullpen and lefty Cole Reynolds for the bottom of the fifth. Walking back-to-back hitters to start the inning, Reynolds allowed four runs to swing the two-run lead to Cedar Rapids. First baseman Rayne Doncon and third baseman Henry Kusiak each pulled RBI singles to tie the game up, and center fielder Jacob McCombs delivered the inning’s key hit, a two-run single to left-center. On the McCombs single, South Bend shortstop Angel Cepeda appeared to have the play lined up for the third out, but the ground ball took a carom off the lip of the infield grass and snaked under his glove.
The Kernel bullpen continued to scuffle in the second half of the game, as the Cubs leveled the score again in the seventh. They had missed a major opportunity in the sixth with their hottest hitter at the plate, as left fielder Jose Escobar grounded out with two retired and the bases loaded. Nevertheless, they broke through for two runs a frame later, attacking new reliever Nolan Santos for three hits on his first three pitches of the night. The third hit, a single from right fielder Miguel Useche, drove in a run, and Olivo later evened the game up with a sacrifice fly.
After that, it was Cedar Rapids that left sizable chances on the table, stranding multiple runners on base in each of the final three regulation innings. In both the eighth and the ninth, the Kernels left the go-ahead run at third base, as right-hander Adam Stone wiggled out of the threats to deliver 2.0 scoreless innings and earn the winning decision. A double play helped him escape two immediate walks in the eighth, and a strong play from Hartshorn in the ninth made sure that the Cubs avoided a walk-off loss.
Hartshorn would play a major role in the 10th as well, but not before catcher Justin Stransky provided the go-ahead run. As the automatic placement runner at second base, Stransky took off early for third with Olivo at the plate, giving Cedar Rapids righty Mitch Mueller a chance to throw him out. He airmailed the toss into foul territory, though, allowing Stransky to come home with a 6-5 lead. A few batters later, Hartshorn rocketed a two-strike home run to right-center field, giving South Bend a critical advantage of two runs. The No. 2 Cubs prospect now has 15 home runs on his age 19 season, including 10 in a month and a half at the High-A level.
Pitching comfortably with the two-run lead, right-hander Grayson Moore locked up the save for South Bend, retiring the Kernels in order on 10 pitches.
After a late night in the opener, the Cubs and Kernels will square off early in the day for game two at 1:05 PM ET on Wednesday, July 8. Right-hander Nazier Mulé is scheduled to pitch for South Bend against Cedar Rapids righty Riley Quick.