Cubs Take Series from Fort Wayne with 4-1 Saturday Win
Published on August 9, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
South Bend, IN - For the first time since the middle of April, the South Bend Cubs have won a series at Four Winds Field. The Cubs (44-62) got it done on Saturday night in South Bend, besting the Fort Wayne TinCaps (50-56) by a 4-1 score. At 20-18 in the second half, the Cubs have won seven of their last nine games and remain two games back of the West division lead.
South Bend's offense went to work early against Fort Wayne right-hander Will Varmette, tagging him for three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Varmette induced a double play to end the inning. They'd break through in the third, ultimately forcing 34 pitches out of the starting pitcher in the inning. Shortstop Cristian Hernandez opened the scoring, powering an opposite-field, two-run home run to right. His sixth long ball of the season and first since July 2 put the Cubs in front by a pair after three.
The Cubs padded the lead in each of the next two innings, scoring in the fourth with three consecutive hits. Third baseman Reggie Preciado launched an RBI double to left field, extending the margin to 3-0 and helping to chase Varmette from the game. Lefty CJ Widger took over for him later in the fourth and gave up another run in the fifth. Hernandez and designated hitter Ariel Armas each singled with nobody out, setting up Hernandez to score the Cubs' fourth run.
On the other side, left-hander Evan Aschenbeck made the Cubs' lead hold up, spinning six innings of one-run ball. In his seventh quality start of the season, Aschenbeck allowed the leadoff man to reach in each of the first five innings. However, only one of those TinCaps came around to score, and Aschenbeck picked off a man in the first inning and created double plays in the following two frames. In the fourth, he loaded the bases with two outs but escaped on a flyout. The only run against Aschenbeck crossed home in the fifth, but he responded with a 1-2-3 sixth to finish his outing.
In addition to earning the winning decision, Aschenbeck lowered his full-season earned run average to 2.24 on Saturday. His ERA over his last seven starts is now 0.61, as he's allowed just two earned runs across 29.1 innings during that stretch. Rehabbing righty Yency Almonte relieved Aschenbeck with two scoreless innings for a hold, and right-hander Grayson Moore sealed the win with his fourth save of the season.
Though the Cubs didn't plate any more runs against the Fort Wayne bullpen, Ariel Armas did complete yet another three-hit game. Armas was 3 for 3 on Saturday, bringing his series stat line to 14 for 16 with 10 runs batted in.
The Cubs will look for a fifth win in the series at 2:05 PM on Sunday before heading to first-place Beloit. South Bend right-hander Yenrri Rojas is scheduled to pitch against Fort Wayne lefty Luis Gutierrez.
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