Back in First Place, South Bend Storms Past Beloit, 5-3
MWL South Bend Cubs

Back in First Place, South Bend Storms Past Beloit, 5-3

Published on August 16, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


Beloit, WI - In one of the most exhilarating games of the season, which was preempted by a 57-minute rain delay, the South Bend Cubs fought back and locked down a 5-3 victory at ABC Supply Stadium over the Beloit Sky Carp on Saturday night. With the victory, South Bend is back to inheriting sole possession of first place in the West Division, by one game over Beloit, and 2.5 games past Quad Cities. That's thanks to QC being swept in a doubleheader tonight at Cedar Rapids.

The Cubs have won four of the first five games this week at Beloit, and on Saturday grabbed the game's first lead thanks to another 1st inning base-hit from Kade Snell. The Chicago Cubs fifth-round pick out of Alabama drove in two on a knock to right-center, giving South Bend a 2-0 lead right away. Snell has driven in his first three career RBI over the last two games.

Evan Aschenbeck got the start for the Cubs, and in the top of the 1st inning sent down the side in order with a frame that included a pair of strikeouts. In the 2nd, Beloit had their best offensive inning at the dish, first getting a home run from Wilson Weber to cut the Cubs lead in half. Later, consecutive base-hits by Garret Forrester and Echedry Vargas led to a go-ahead double by Emaarion Boyd. It was 3-2 Sky Carp after two innings.

Aschenbeck departed the game after two innings, and the Cubs bullpen took it from there. South Bend relievers would combine for seven shutout innings in the game, and they earned it. Righty Koen Moreno made his 2025 debut after missing nearly all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John Surgery. Moreno posted 2.1 shutout innings, and from innings three through six, the Sky Carp left at least one man in scoring position.

The Cubs continuously worked out of jams through the game. Cole Reynolds added a shutout frame of his own, and also came up with a big pick-off play of Vargas at first base.

This gave the Cubs lineup opportunities to come back to tie and take the lead. In the 5th, the Cubs tied the game on a Cristian Hernandez RBI single. The 6th inning saw South Bend jump back on top when Rafael Morel doubled, and Drew Bowser knocked him in on a base-knock. Edgar Alvarez then crushed a drive over the right field wall for his seventh home run of the season in the 7th, for a 5-3 lead. Also part of the comeback was a three-hit game by Cubs catcher Miguel Pabon. Pabon scored the tying run via Hernandez' single.

Also helping the shutout cause out of the South Bend bullpen was Luis Martinez-Gomez. 'LMG' worked 2.2 shutout frames, with three strikeouts. Impressively in the 8th inning, LMG gave up a pair of singles to start the inning, and the right-hander retired the next three Sky Carp to hang a zero.

The same could be said for Luis Rujano in the 9th. Closing down his second save of the year, Rujano allowed two hits, with Beloit having the tying runs on at first and third base, and the winning run at the plate. Rujano struck out Weber and Ian Lewis to end the game, and the Cubs held on for the victory, back in first place.

South Bend already has a series win, but the all-important series finale between the Cubs and Sky Carp is set for 2:05 PM Sunday afternoon. With a win, South Bend would return home on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field with a two-game lead on Beloit in the West. Right-hander Yenrri Rojas gets the start for the Cubs Sunday at ABC Supply Stadium.

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Midwest League Stories from August 16, 2025


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