Cubs Pummel Kernels, 12-4, After Dropping Suspended Game, 6-5

Sports stats

MWL South Bend Cubs

Cubs Pummel Kernels, 12-4, After Dropping Suspended Game, 6-5

June 27, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


The South Bend Cubs (27-46) guaranteed themselves at least a split of their road series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (42-31) on Friday evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium. After losing the completion of Thursday's suspended game by a 6-5 score, the Cubs rolled to a 12-4 win in Friday's scheduled contest. In the victory, South Bend scored all 12 runs within the first three innings, launching three home runs.

The Cubs raced out to an early lead in the third game of the series on Thursday night, scoring three runs in the first inning. Each of South Bend's first five hitters reached base against Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Tanner Hall, setting up catcher Ariel Armas for an RBI single. First baseman Cameron Sisneros followed with a run-scoring double to the gap, and designated hitter Ivan Brethowr completed the inning with a sacrifice fly.

The Cubs would leave the bases loaded in the second inning, but they went right back to work in the third, building a 5-0 lead on right fielder Rafael Morel's two-run double. However, after South Bend's half of the third, thunderstorms arrived and forced a suspension of play to Friday evening. Cubs starter Evan Aschenbeck received the short end of the weather stick, losing his 24th birthday start after firing two perfect innings on 26 pitches.

When the Cubs and Kernels returned to the diamond in the late afternoon on Friday, lefty Chase Watkins took the mound with a 5-0 lead for South Bend. Cedar Rapids got to him, rallying with two outs and cracking the scoreboard on a single from center fielder Kyle DeBarge. The Kernels later loaded the bases for second baseman Danny De Andrade, who went to right field for an opposite-field grand slam that tied the game at five.

Watkins bounced back with a clean fourth inning, but right-hander Luis Rujano gave up the tie game on a DeBarge double in the fifth inning. Rujano, along with fellow righty relievers Kenyi Perez and Jackson Kirkpatrick, did well to keep the Cubs within a 6-5 score the rest of the way. Kirkpatrick made his High-A debut, striking out two in a perfect eighth inning.

Despite its effectiveness down the stretch, South Bend's bullpen was outmatched by Cedar Rapids right-hander Jose Olivares. The No. 28 Twins prospect took the ball for the Kernels' first half-inning in the field after the resumption and finished the game, firing off six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. In the eighth inning, he and catcher Poncho Ruiz teamed up for a strikeout-throwout double play, erasing a leadoff single. The Cubs then put the tying run on third base with two outs in the ninth inning, but designated hitter Ivan Brethowr flied out to end the game.

The Cubs again came out hot in the seven-inning nightcap, only this time, they developed a lead almost impossible to surrender. They opened with another multi-run first inning, as shortstop Cristian Hernandez ripped his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. Designated hitter Brian Kalmer followed with another two-run blast, his second of the season and the series, in the second inning. Cedar Rapids kept the pace, though, as first baseman Billy Amick lined an RBI single in the first inning, and two more Kernel runs scored in the second.

South Bend would bust the game wide open in an eight-run third inning, totaling 11 at bats. Third baseman Drew Bowser collected his fifth bases-loaded hit of the season, doubling to right-center to bring home two more runs. Kalmer's single, coupled with a Cedar Rapids error, plated another pair of Cubs to make it a 9-3 game. Second baseman Jefferson Rojas capped the inning with a three-run long ball, his sixth home run of the campaign. Friday night marked the first time Rojas and Hernandez, South Bend's two top-10 Chicago Cubs prospects, have homered in the same game at the High-A level. First baseman Carter Trice (21 games), Bowser (12 games), Hernandez (11 games), and Rojas (11 games) all stretched their long on-base streaks during the offensive outburst.

Though Cedar Rapids scored another run in the bottom of the third and forced Cubs starter Erian Rodriguez to throw 69 pitches through three innings, South Bend pitching shut the Kernels out from the fourth inning. The Kernels' bullpen did the same, tallying four perfect innings after the Cubs reached a dozen runs. For South Bend, Rodriguez battled his way to five innings with eight strikeouts, qualifying for and earning the win. Right-hander Grayson Moore handled the rest, punching out three Kernels in two scoreless frames to end the game.

With South Bend leading the series 3-1, game five will get underway at 7:35 PM ET on Saturday. No. 17 Cubs prospect Ryan Gallagher is scheduled to pitch against Cedar Rapids righty Cole Peschl.

Check out the South Bend Cubs Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 27, 2025


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.

Other Recent South Bend Cubs Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central