Cubs Drop Finale in Cedar Rapids, 9-2

W: Derek Molina (3-1, 5.84 ERA)

L: Bradford Deppermann (0-2, 4.87 ERA)

BOX SCORE

It was another long game for the South Bend Cubs (18-23).

They trailed the Cedar Rapids Kernels (22-20) the whole way Sunday afternoon at Perfect Game Field and in the end a 9-2 loss means South Bend has now lost five games in a row.

With two outs and a runner in scoring position Trey Cabbage opened up the scoring for Cedar Rapids with a two-run homer in the first inning.

South Bend answered right back with a two-out RBI base hit of their own. With two men on Delvin Zinn laced a double down the line in left to score Caleb Knight and make it just a 2-1 game.

The Kernels kept their foot on the gas.

Cedar Rapids added two more runs an another two-out, two-RBI base hit, this one a single off the bat of the leadoff hitter Spencer Steer. South Bend would get one run back as Knight scored for the second time in the game, this time on a balk.

But the trend of South Bend’s offense struggling in the later innings and Cedar Rapid’s bats really coming to life late continued. The Kernels scored five runs combined between the fifth and sixth inning, including their second two-run shot of the game, this time an opposite field long ball off the bat of Seth Gray.

The South Bend bullpen did retire nine of the last 10 batters they faced, however it was too late and the Cubs wound up dropping the final five games of this series after winning the first one on Tuesday.

Next up: Matteo Bocchi takes the hill for the Cubs in the first game of their next series Tuesday vs. Matt Waldron of Fort Wayne. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET at Four Winds Field in Downtown South Bend.