Three Home Runs Power Kernels to 10-5 Win Over South Bend in 2026 Season Finale

September 6, 2026

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - JP Smith II belted a three-run home run, and Andy Lugo homered twice to lead Cedar Rapids to a 10-5 win in the 2026 season finale Sunday afternoon. For the third straight game, the Cubs opened the scoring. Josiah Hartshorn walked to start the bottom of

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - JP Smith II belted a three-run home run, and Andy Lugo homered twice to lead Cedar Rapids to a 10-5 win in the 2026 season finale Sunday afternoon.

For the third straight game, the Cubs opened the scoring. Josiah Hartshorn walked to start the bottom of the first inning, and after he moved to third on an Angel Cepeda single, he scored on a Jose Escobar RBI base hit to put South Bend on top 1-0.

Cedar Rapids punched back in the top of the third. With two outs, back-to-back singles from Vahn Lackey and Eduardo Tait put two on for JP Smith II, who crushed a three-run home run to left to jump the Kernels in front 3-1. After the next batter, Luis Fragoza, doubled, Byron Chourio grew the lead to 4-1 with an RBI triple.

The Cubs got a run back in the bottom of the third. A pair of errors put Leonel Espinoza on second for Cepeda, whose RBI double cut the deficit to 4-2.

South Bend pulled even in the fourth. Singles from Reggie Preciado and Espinoza put a pair of runners on for Hartshorn, who ripped a two-run double to tie the game, 4-4.

The Kernels reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Vahn Lackey worked a walk, stole second and scored on an error to put Cedar Rapids back ahead 5-4. The next batter, Andy Lugo, drove a line drive out to left for a two-run home run to grow the lead to 7-4.

Lugo struck again in the top of the eighth. Against position player Michael Hallquist, Lugo crushed his second home run of the game, a solo shot to left to extend the advantage to 8-4.

With the position player still in the game, Cedar Rapids added two more runs in the ninth on a Ramiro Dominguez RBI single and a Lackey RBI groundout to make it 10-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, doubles from Justin Stransky and Hartshorn combined to plate a South Bend run, but that would be the closest the Cubs would get in the 10-5 Cedar Rapids win.

The Kernels finish the 2026 season 48-82. Cedar Rapids begins the 2027 season in Beloit on Friday, April 2, before opening Veterans Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, April 6. Pitchers and start times for the start of 2027 are TBD.