South Bend Walk-Off, Great Lakes No-Hitter Comprise Thursday Doubleheader Split

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South Bend Walk-Off, Great Lakes No-Hitter Comprise Thursday Doubleheader Split

June 5, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


South Bend, IN - The South Bend Cubs split Thursday evening's 14-inning doubleheader against the Great Lakes Loons, winning 6-5 in Game 1 and dropping Game 2 by a 3-0 score. The Cubs earned their first walk-off win of the season on a Jefferson Rojas sacrifice fly in the opener before the Loons no-hit South Bend to claim the nightcap. South Bend and Great Lakes now have respective records of 16-38 and 28-26 for the season.

Following an 11-run outburst in the series opener, the Cubs went right back to work early on the front end of the doubleheader. Center fielder Carter Trice cranked a leadoff home run down the line in left field, giving him a long ball in back-to-back games and five round-trippers for the season. Rojas walked next, pushing his on-base streak to nine games. He'd come around to score on first baseman Edgar Alvarez's single, handing the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

Right-hander Tyler Schlaffer made good on the early run support as South Bend's starting pitcher. The reigning Midwest League Pitcher of the Week covered five innings, allowing only one run while striking out five. Great Lakes right fielder Mike Sirota accounted for the one run against him, swatting an opposite-field home run in the third inning. Schlaffer would end his outing with a pickoff in the fifth inning, departing with the Cubs still in front.

Opposite Schlaffer, Loons lefty Wyatt Crowell did well to keep Great Lakes in the game after his rough first inning. He did not allow a hit or a run between innings two and four, but things went south after he handed the keys to the bullpen. Right-hander Joseilyn Gonzalez came on for the fifth inning and walked three straight Cubs, all of whom later scored. Shortstop Cristian Hernandez capped off the three-run inning with a two-run single, putting the Cubs within six outs of victory up 5-1.

South Bend gave it all right back in the top of the sixth, as right-hander Vince Reilly relieved Schlaffer and walked the bases loaded. Second baseman Logan Wagner stepped in and crushed a game-tying grand slam for his 10th home run of the season. Lefty Evan Taylor held the Loons at bay after that, though, firing two scoreless frames to force extra innings.

Taylor would go on to earn the win because of what happened in the bottom of the seventh. Trice worked a one-out walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a balk. Up came Jefferson Rojas, who had been named Midwest League Player of the Month eight hours earlier. He showed everyone the reason for his award, walking off the Loons with a sacrifice fly to center.

The second game of the twin bill featured strong starting pitching on both sides. For South Bend, left-hander Evan Aschenbeck turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. His only major blemish occurred in the second inning on a two-run Logan Wagner home run. Wagner played long ball from both sides of the plate during the doubleheader, homering from the left side in Game 1 and the right side in Game 2. Aschenbeck conceded one additional run in his seven-inning complete game, as catcher Carlos Rojas delivered an RBI single in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Great Lakes righty Eriq Swan shut down the Cubs across six hitless innings, punching out seven. South Bend's only real opportunity against him arose in the fourth inning, when Swan walked both Rojas and Hernandez with nobody out. However, he struck out left fielder Edgar Alvarez before designated hitter Andy Garriola committed interference on a pop-up that dropped foul. Third baseman Reginald Preciado still had a chance to do damage with two outs, but he grounded out on a fielder's choice. Roque Gutierrez handled the seventh inning for the Loons, sealing their no-no on a called third strike.

South Bend and Great Lakes will return to regularly scheduled programming with a 7:05 PM first pitch on Friday. The Cubs are set to throw right-hander Erian Rodriguez against Loon lefty Luke Fox.

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