Cubs Crush Sky Carp 9-1 to Bounce Back in Series 

South Bend, IN - After dropping a game for the third time this week last night, the South Bend Cubs rebounded brilliantly with a 9-1 dominant victory over the Beloit Sky Carp on Saturday afternoon.

The Cubs sent right-hander Brandon Birdsell to the mound on Saturday after he made his pro debut last Sunday at Quad Cities. The Chicago Cubs fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech dazzled last week in three no-hit, shutout innings, and that continued into pro start number-two. On the first pitch of the game, Dalvy Rosario punched a ball into center field on a solid single, but was then caught stealing.

That early moment in the game gave the Cubs all the momentum they would need. Birdsell worked a scoreless rest of the 1st, and then the South Bend bats went to work.

Against Beloit starter Edgar Sanchez, the Cubs hit around in the 1st inning. D.J. Artis started things with a single, went to second base on a pick-off move error, third base on a wild pitch, and then scored thanks to a Yohendrick Pinango RBI groundout. Haydn McGeary also drove in a run that way, then Casey Opitz clubbed a triple off the center field wall to score one more.

Still in the 1st, after a Kevin Made walk, Ethan Hearn bounced a base hit into right field to score another making it 4-0 almost immediately. A scary incident though involving the Beloit starter Sanchez occurred though, as he went to the ground and was unable to put any weight on his left foot. He was helped off the field and righty Chris Mokma came into the game.

The four runs would be all the Cubs needed, but they went back to work at the plate for plenty more. Birdsell worked 3.2 innings and allowed only a run on an RBI sacrifice fly by Brady Allen. Other than that, the young right-hander was clean as a whistle.

Out of the bullpen, the first man to appear for the Cubs was righty Frankie Scalzo Jr. Last week in his South Bend debut, he worked three scoreless innings. That continued on Saturday with a masterful performance of 3.1 shutout frames with just one hit allowed and a strikeout. He earned the win.

Every Beloit reliever gave up runs on Saturday except for lefty Caleb Wurster, who worked the last two frames in scoreless action.

Elsewhere at the plate for South Bend, Chicago cubs number-two overall prospect Kevin Alcántara had the best game of his young South Bend Cubs career so far, going 3/4 with two doubles, a home run, and four runs scored. The homer came in the bottom of the 5th on a ball drilled towards left-center, and it just cleared the wall.

It was the most productive game of the season for the Cubs so far. They will hope that continues into Sunday as they attempt to split the series with Beloit. First pitch from Four Winds Field is set for 2:05 PM, and righty Connor Noland will be on the mound for the Cubs.