Late Rally Not Enough in 7-6 Loss to South Bend

Peoria, IL- Four runs for the Cubs in the sixth inning was the difference in the Chiefs 7-6 defeat at the hands of South Bend Tuesday at Dozer Park.

Against Edgar Manzo in the sixth, Felix Stevens and Luis Verdugo hit back-to-back doubles to put South Bend ahead 4-3. After a single from Jacob Wetzel, Christian Franklin launched a three-run home run to make it 7-3.

The Cubs put together 14 hits, six of them coming in the first two innings against Peoria starter Ian Bedell. Ezequiel Pagan led off the contest with a single. After a ground out, James Traintos singled to put runners on the corners. One pitch later, Yohendrick Pinango singled in Pagan to make it 1-0.

The Chiefs had a quick response against South Bend starter Luis Devers. Nathan Church was hit by a pitch with one out which led to an R.J. Yeager two-run home run to make it 2-1.

South Bend re-gained the lead in the second. Pagan doubled in a run and then later scored on a Kevin Made single to make it a 3-2 game.

Pinango and Made each had three hits in the contest.

Peoria got the run back to tie the game at three in its half of the second. Thomas Francisco walked with two outs and escorted two pitches later on a Francisco Hernandez double.

Bedell finished with four innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits, walking two and punching out three. Devers was able to settle in and complete five frames, allowing three runs on three hits, walking one and fanning five to earn his first win of the year.

Andrew Marerro and Dionys Rodriguez combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to give Peoria a chance to piece together a rally in the ninth.

Against Frankie Scalzo Jr. in the final frame, Chris Rotondo and Osvaldo Tovalin hit singles with one out. After a strikeout, Thomas Francisco reached on catcher interference to load the bases. Hernandez came up next and hit a sharp ground ball off the wrist of the shortstop, Made, to bring in two runs to make it 7-5. Alex Iadisernia followed with an RBI single to get Peoria within one. Scalzo faced Nathan Church, who lined a ball to left field that was snagged by the falling Pagan to end the game.

The Chiefs had eight hits in the game with Tovalin and Hernandez accounting for four of them.

Peoria falls to 46-45 and 13-12 in the second half. South Bend improves to 40-50 and 10-15 in the latter half. The Cubs now lead the season series seven to six.

Game two of the series is scheduled for tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.