The South Bend Cubs (14-12) won a second consecutive game against the Lansing Lugnuts (11-18) on Wednesday afternoon at Four Winds Field, triumphing by a 3-1 score. Cub pitching struck out 16 before a crowd of 6,100, and designated hitter Cole Mathis launched the game-winning, two-run home run in the sixth inning.
Click here to view Wednesday’s box score.
South Bend pitching was on the attack from the jump, beginning with right-hander Koen Moreno. The starting pitcher delivered one of his best outings this season, but it didn’t come with an easy beginning. Moreno loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning, getting a catch at the wall from left fielder Leonel Espinoza to escape the frame unscathed.
Moreno settled in wonderfully after that, completing four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. He retired six consecutive Lansing hitters to finish the outing, as the Cubs at one point set down 16 Lugnuts in a row. Left-hander Jackson Brockett relieved Moreno and kept the train rolling, punching out five of the six hitters opposing him in two perfect frames. The southpaw used a devastating changeup to strike out the side in the fifth before punching out two more in the sixth.
On the other side, Lansing starting pitcher Samuel Dutton turned in five scoreless innings. The right-hander stranded a runner in scoring position in each of his final frames, getting the game to the sixth in a scoreless tie.
When Lansing went to its bullpen and right-hander Abel Mercedes in the bottom of the sixth, the Cubs finally broke through. First baseman Cameron Sisneros took a leadoff walk, bringing up Cole Mathis, who connected on a two-run home run to left field. With his ninth long ball of the season, his second in High-A, Mathis has an extra-base hit in four straight games. Second baseman Drew Bowser later ripped an RBI double down the left-field line, pushing South Bend’s lead to 3-0.
After going in front, South Bend called upon right-hander JP Wheat to continue the bullpen’s work. Wheat pitched a clean seventh inning before having trouble in the eighth, forcing fellow righty Ethan Bell to check in. Despite allowing a run via a wild pitch, Bell left the tying run in scoring position, preserving the Cubs’ lead at 3-1. Bell would return for the ninth, again leaving the tying run on base while striking out three to earn his second save of the season.
The Cubs and Lugnuts will return to evening baseball at 7:05 PM on Thursday, May 7. Right-hander Eli Jerzembeck is scheduled to make his South Bend Cubs debut on the mound against Lansing righty Zane Taylor.