Late Rally Comes up Short in 5-4 Loss to Peoria
MWL South Bend Cubs

Late Rally Comes up Short in 5-4 Loss to Peoria

Published on August 29, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


Peoria, IL - With their fourth straight loss to open this week's series in Peoria, the South Bend Cubs had a late 9th inning opportunity come up short in Friday's 5-4 loss at the hands of the Chiefs. With South Bend losing, and both Beloit and Quad Cities winning, the Cubs are two games back in the Midwest League West Division with eight games to play, and now only will be a half-game ahead of QC for second place.

In every game this week, Peoria has held the game's first lead, with at least one run in the 1st inning. Friday night, it was a lead-off single from Peoria's Jose Cordoba that led to a two-run homer by Won-Bin Cho. That was after South Bend left two runners on in the top of the 1st.

The 2-0 lead for the Chiefs was answered by the Cubs tying things up in the top of the 2nd. A lead-off single by Miguel Pabon started the rally, and Rafael Morel plated Pabon with a double. Later, three consecutive walks by Peoria starter Jose Davila brought home a run as Cameron Sisneros walked with the bases loaded.

Tied at 2-2, the Chiefs didn't take long to take their second lead, with another two-run rally in the bottom of the 3rd. Down 4-2, South Bend would give up its last tally of the night in the bottom of the 6th when Trey Richardson launched a solo home run.

Thanks to a quality three innings of one-run baseball by Luis Rujano out of the bullpen, and then two more shutout frames by Jackson Kirkpatrick, South Bend fought and stayed in the game. Down 5-2, the Cubs picked up two runs in the top of the 7th. The first on a Sisneros sac-fly after Cristian Hernandez doubled to start the inning, and the next on Brian Kalmer's ninth home run of the season to make it 5-4.

Kalmer now has the active team lead in home runs with nine. The total lead belongs to Carter Trice with 14.

Later in the 7th inning, Cubs catcher Logan Poteet picked up his first professional hit. The Chicago Cubs 2025 17th-round pick out of UNC Charlotte singled to continue the rally, but did not score.

Heading to the 9th, South Bend picked up back-to-back walks to begin its final chance at the plate from Hernandez and Edgar Alvarez. Alvarez was pinch-ran for by Leonel Espinoza. Hernandez and Espinoza pulled off a double-steal, and South Bend had runners at second and third base with only one out. Of note, Hernandez stole two bases in the game, giving him 52 on the season. He already has the South Bend Cubs single-season record (since 2015).

Peoria righty Zack Showalter locked down though, and ended the game with no further damage.

With the loss, Peoria has already won the series with four wins, and the Cubs are two games back in the division with eight games to go. South Bend is still in the race, but crunch time is officially on heading into the last two games at Dozer Park. First pitch on Saturday night in Peoria is set for 8:05 PM, with right-hander Kenten Egbert scheduled to start.

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Midwest League Stories from August 29, 2025


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