Cubs Set April Home Run Record, Beat Fort Wayne 6-4

The South Bend Cubs (12-7) opened their season-long 12-game homestand successfully on Tuesday at Four Winds Field, defeating the Fort Wayne TinCaps (7-15) by a 6-4 score. South Bend set a new Cubs record for April home runs in the win, as designated hitter Cameron Sisneros launched the Cubs’ 20th of the month.

Click here to view Tuesday’s box score.

Sporting a new look with stirrups instead of knee-high socks, right-hander Kenten Egbert made his first start of the season for South Bend. Egbert turned in three scoreless innings, giving the Cubs a chance to score first in the bottom of the third. They did it on a leadoff double from center fielder Kane Kepley and a sacrifice fly from right fielder Kade Snell, jumping ahead 1-0.

Fort Wayne tied the game in the fourth inning on a long home run from left fielder Alex McCoy, his fifth of the season. Right-hander Brayden Spears gave up that home run, but he buckled down after that, completing three innings of one-run relief. The Cubs turned his work into another lead, going ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Justin Stransky started the rally with a one-out double and came around to score on a bases-loaded walk from first baseman Cole Mathis.

The Cubs pulled away somewhat with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Sisneros led off by pulling his third home run of the season to right. Shortstop Christian Olivo later roped a run-scoring double, pushing South Bend’s lead to 4-1. Olivo finished with a three-hit game, his first since July 2024.

Overall, the Cubs’ offense left plenty of meat on the bone, leaving 13 runners on base. They stranded the bases loaded in both the first and fourth innings, as Fort Wayne starting pitcher Maikel Miralles gave up only two runs despite walking four and allowing five hits.

Fort Wayne made the game close again in the top of the eighth, as catcher Carlos Rodriguez doubled for a run ahead of a McCoy RBI triple. However, the 4-3 score didn’t last long, as the Cubs answered with two runs in their half of the inning. Left fielder Reggie Preciado blooped a single to restore the multi-run lead, and a balk from TinCap reliever Matt Watson made that lead three.

The Cubs had to hang on tight in the top of the ninth, though, as right-hander Jackson Kirkpatrick loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk and two hit batsmen. Fort Wayne got a run back, but Kirkpatrick turned things around enough to finish off a 6-4 victory.

Up next, it’s an early wake-up for the Cubs and TinCaps, who will play at 11:05 AM on Wednesday, April 29. Lefty Cole Reynolds is scheduled to pitch for South Bend against Fort Wayne right-hander Isaiah Lowe.