Beloit Bashes Way Past South Bend, 7-5

BELOIT, Wisc. - Beloit notched three solo home runs, and the Snappers defeated South Bend, 7-5, in the series opener Tuesday night at Pohlman Field.

The Cubs (21-23 second half, 50-61 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but never led again against Beloit (19-24 second half, 44-69 overall), which scored in each of the first four frames and again in the seventh.

South Bend starter Erick Leal allowed six runs on eight hits in four innings. Leal, who tossed nine no-hit innings last Tuesday against Kane County, was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

Cubs left-handed reliever Jordan Minch tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one base runner.

South Bend right fielder Jeffrey Baez (2-for-4, two runs, two stolen bases) led an eight-hit offensive effort.

Cubs first baseman Matt Rose ripped an RBI single in the first inning to score Baez and hand South Bend an early 1-0 advantage.

The Snappers tied the game in the bottom of the first when first baseman Max Kuhn clubbed a solo home run to left-center field.

Beloit No. 9 hitter Tim Proudfoot cracked a two-out RBI single in the second to push the Snappers up 2-1. The next hitter, leadoff man Joe Bennie, scored two with a double to right-center field and made it 4-1.

In the third, Cubs left fielder Ian Happ lifted an RBI single into right-center field to plate Baez and trim the deficit to 4-2. Catcher Gioskar Amaya then added a run-scoring single to center to reel in Happ and cut the gap to 4-3.

Beloit charged back on an RBI single in the home half of the third by shortstop Mikey White, stretching the margin back to 5-3.

Bennie started the home fourth with a solo shot to make it 6-3.

In the top of the sixth, Cubs third baseman David Bote rapped a two-run single to center to score Amaya and designated hitter Charcer Burks and bring South Bend within one, 6-5.

Snappers third baseman Jose Brizuela widened the lead to 7-5 with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.

South Bend and Beloit meet in the middle game of the three-game set Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wisconsin. Cubs right-hander Trevor Clifton (4.78 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Snappers righty Heath Fillmyer (6.14 ERA).