Loons Win Resumed Friday Game and Scheduled Saturday Contest 2-1 in South Bend

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Loons Win Resumed Friday Game and Scheduled Saturday Contest 2-1 in South Bend

June 7, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


South Bend, IN - The South Bend Cubs (16-40) dropped a pair of games to the Great Lakes Loons (30-26) on Saturday at Four Winds Field. In the continuation of Friday night's suspended contest, the Loons won 2-1 in nine innings. Then, in the originally scheduled Saturday night game, they held off the Cubs by another 2-1 score in seven innings. Great Lakes now leads the series three games to two heading into Sunday's finale.

The 7:05 PM game on Friday night lasted four innings before a heavy shower developed and sat over downtown South Bend, suspending play. Both teams scored in the first inning, as Great Lakes executed a two-out rally against Cubs starting pitcher Erian Rodriguez. Right fielder Zyhir Hope ripped a double to score center fielder Mike Sirota, putting the Loons on the board first. South Bend first baseman Carter Trice instantly answered in the bottom of the first, launching a leadoff home run to left field. With three long balls in the series, Trice now ranks second on the team with six home runs this season.

Great Lakes starting pitcher Luke Fox quieted the Cubs after Trice's shot landed, striking out three in the first on his way to 3.2 effective innings. As he kept South Bend at one run, the Loons took the lead in the top of the third inning. Designated hitter Kendall George led off with a single before stealing second and coming in to score on a single from second baseman Logan Wagner. Rodriguez would get through 4.1 innings on the mound before the rain arrived.

Not a whole lot changed after the game resumed in the top of the fifth inning at 5:35 PM on Saturday. South Bend's bullpen did well to keep the game close, as right-hander Connor Schultz stranded three runners in scoring position across 1.2 scoreless innings. Lefty Chase Watkins then twirled a perfect seventh before righties Grayson Moore and Brayden Risedorph each posted a shutout frame of their own.

The Cubs couldn't tie the game, though, as Great Lakes rolled out Christian Romero for four perfect innings after the contest resumed. He finally ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing infielders Jefferson Rojas and Cristian Hernandez to reach with nobody out. Romero then struck out center fielder Andy Garriola for the first out before turning the ball over to lefty Robinson Ortiz. After intentionally walking left fielder Ivan Brethowr to load the bases with two outs, Ortiz got a groundout from catcher Ariel Armas to end the game with the tying and winning runs in scoring position.

Loons pitching continued to stymie the Cubs in the seven-inning nightcap, as starter Payton Martin twirled 5.1 shutout innings with only one hit allowed. South Bend threatened him a couple of times, first in the third inning when third baseman Drew Bowser singled and Trice walked with one out. However, neither Rojas nor Hernandez could drive in a run, keeping the Cubs off the scoreboard. They'd put the leadoff man on in the fourth, but a double play grounder erased that threat.

On the other side, newly minted No. 18 Cubs prospect Ryan Gallagher gave South Bend a chance to win, striking out seven in five solid innings. The Loons tagged him for two runs, though, scoring first on a double from first baseman Jackson Nicklaus in the second inning. Right fielder Josue De Paula rocketed another RBI double in the third, doubling the Great Lakes lead. Gallagher would find his rhythm after De Paula's double, retiring each of the final eight hitters he faced.

Right-hander Luis Rujano and Kenyi Perez each posted a scoreless inning out of the South Bend bullpen to keep the Cubs in it, but their offense couldn't tie it up. Great Lakes righty Jorge Gonzalez entered the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, inheriting a leadoff Trice double. Gonzalez went through dangerous hitters in Hernandez and left fielder Edgar Alvarez. South Bend pressured him again in the seventh, as first baseman Brian Kalmer broke the shutout bid with a single. However, Gonzalez followed by breaking Bowser's bat on a game-ending groundout.

South Bend and Great Lakes will close out the series at 2:05 PM on Sunday, with right-hander Kenten Egbert pitching for the Cubs against Loons righty Brooks Auger.

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