Cougars Walk-Off Cubs 5-4 on Sunday Afternoon

July 22, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Cubs News Release

Geneva, IL: Heading to the bottom of the 10th inning holding onto a one run lead and with closer Brian Glowicki on the mound, the South Bend Cubs were ready to close out a series win over the Kane County Cougars.

Up 4-3, the Cubs had just taken the lead when Rafael Narea scored on a wild pitch in the top half of the 10th. With two outs, and a runner at third base, Glowicki was one strike away from sealing the game.

Kane County left fielder Ryan Grotjohn had different ideas.

On a 3-2 pitch with two outs, Grotjohn flew a high drive towards the right field corner. The ball sailed over the wall and the Cougars were celebrating at home plate with a walk-off two run home run. Grotjohn's second homer of the season led to a heartbreaker for South Bend.

As the game went to extra innings, the Cubs took all the momentum with them. After falling behind 2-0 quickly in the 2nd inning, South Bend responded with three runs in two innings to take the 3-2 lead. The Cougars came roaring back with a run in the 5th to tie it at 3-3.

Thanks to shutdown pitching out of the bullpen by Garrett Kelly, who tossed two innings of scoreless ball, the Cubs got the first opportunity in extras. With Narea automatically at second base because of the new rule, the Cubs loaded the bases when Michael Cruz drew a walk.

Austin Filiere stepped up. On the first pitch he saw, Narea scored on the wild pitch giving South Bend the run one lead. In the inning, however, the Cubs left two men on base. In total on Sunday, South Bend left 10 men on base and went 0/10 with runners in scoring position.

With the Grotjohn walk-off round tripper, the Cubs fall to 50-49 on the season. After winning the series at Quad Cities in the first leg of the road trip, South Bend still has the opportunity to win the series against Kane County. The rubber match is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET. Right hander Brendan King is expected to take the ball for South Bend.

Midwest League Stories from July 22, 2018

• Solid All Around Pitching Leads to 5-1 Victory over the Captains - Burlington Bees
• Captains Blow out Bees 11-3 in Series Opener - Burlington Bees
• Pearce's Big Night Lifts Whitecaps over Bandits 6-4 - Quad Cities River Bandits
• Clinton Sweeps Doubleheader - Fort Wayne TinCaps
• Pearce Pierces Bandits Hopes in 6-4 Win - West Michigan Whitecaps
• Cougars Walk-Off Cubs 5-4 on Sunday Afternoon - South Bend Cubs
• Bees Silence Captains in Game Two - Lake County Captains
• LumberKings take a pair for third straight - Clinton LumberKings
• Loons' Offense Stalls on Sunday - Great Lakes Loons
• Stagnant Offense Costs Snappers in 2-1 Loss to Dragons - Beloit Sky Carp
• Chiefs Beat Loons, Rain 6-2 Sunday - Peoria Chiefs
• Grotjohn's Heroics Power Walk-Off Win - Kane County Cougars
• Dragons Hold off Beloit, Earn 2-1 Victory - Dayton Dragons
• Hot Rods Blow Past Rattlers - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Hang 10: Hot Rods Beat Timber Rattlers, 10-5 - Bowling Green Hot Rods
• Molina Mows Down Lugnuts in 8-5 Triumph - Cedar Rapids Kernels
• Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Sunday - Dayton Dragons

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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