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Hearn's Career Day Propels Cubs over Chiefs 5-2

July 24, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


South Bend, IN - A similar game script to Tuesday night, except without extra innings. For the second straight day, the South Bend Cubs have come back to beat the Peoria Chiefs. This time, on Wednesday afternoon. On a special 'Camp Day' matinee first pitch, South Bend defeated Peoria 5-2 and now has taken the first two games of this week's series.

Drew Gray got the start for the Cubs, in hope of some retribution against Peoria, after dropping a pair of defeats at the hands of the Chiefs earlier this season. Gray started sharp, striking out the side in the top of the 1st inning, all swinging.

Much like Tuesday, Peoria did get on the board first. It came with runners at the corners and one out, Miguel Villarroel was picked off of first base by Gray, and got himself into a rundown. He was tagged out, but in the process, the runner from third, Johnfrank Salazar, came home to score.

The Cubs wouldn't stay down long though. Gray continued to pitch well, matching a season high of six strikeouts. In the 4th, South Bend evened things up when Ethan Hearn grounded a single into left field, making it a 1-1 game.

It was the start of a career day for Hearn, his best day as a South Bend Cub so far. Peoria would hold one more slight lead in the 6th inning, when Salazar brought home Tre Richardson on a sacrifice fly RBI. Besides the sac fly, rehabbing right-hander Ben Leeper struck out two in the 6th, continuing the pace set by Gray.

South Bend would rally together their best offensive stretch of the day in the bottom of the 6th. Pedro Ramirez slapped his second single of the game to center, Jefferson Rojas walked, and Hearn came up and doubled both of them home for a 3-1 score. The next batter was Brian Kalmer, who punched in Hearn.

All of this damage came against right-hander Darlin Saladin, who had won three of his four Midwest League starts before today, including one against the Cubs. In each outing prior to Wednesday, he struck out exactly eight batters.

Later, Hearn would come up one final time, and smoke a single into right-center for his fourth RBI of the day. The four knocked in matched a career high, and South Bend led 5-2.

Leeper finished with two innings of one run baseball, and recording the final six outs of the night, Nick Hull. He hasn't allowed a run all of July, and he wrapped things up with his first ever save as a South Bend Cub.

With the win, South Bend will scoreboard watch, and if the Cedar Rapids Kernels lose to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Cubs will be just six games back of a playoff spot come Thursday night. Thursday's first pitch is set for 7:05 PM, right-hander Will Sanders gets the start.

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