Extra Innings Retribution Achieved - Cubs Topple TinCaps 7-6 in 11

Fort Wayne, IN - In their second extra innings game of the week, the South Bend Cubs pulled off one of their most majestic comeback wins of the season, defeating the Fort Wayne TinCaps 7-6 in 11 innings, and coming back from a 5-0 1st inning hole. On the first day of the second-half in the Midwest League, the West Division first-half champion Cubs got the back-end of the season started in a big way momentum wise.

In the complete opposite of the game between the Cubs and TinCaps on May 29 where South Bend took a 7-0 lead in the 1st inning and Fort Wayne came back to win, it was the TinCaps taking a 5-0 lead after an inning on Friday.

South Bend began its comeback with two runs in the top of the 3rd, picking up an RBI sacrifice-fly from Josiah Hartshorn, and receiving a break from Fort Wayne thanks to a fielding error that scored a run. Koen Moreno settled in, working three shutout innings between the 2nd and 4th.

In the 5th, the Cubs put themselves within a run thanks to a Hartshorn double and a Matt Halbach single. Fort Wayne earned one of the runs back in their half of the 5th, however, but certainly could have had more. With the bases loaded, Jackson Brockett checked into the game with just one out. The southpaw went on to strike out Zach Evans, and got Jack Costello to fly out to end the frame.

The Cubs stayed within two runs thanks to Brockett’s brilliance. Needing just 38 pitches to get through 4.1 shutout innings with zero walks and three strikeouts, Brockett set the table for the Cubs to tie in the top of the 8th. Ty Southisene came up with the bags loaded, and drove in the tying tallies to even things at 6-6.

Brockett recorded the first two outs of the bottom of the 9th, before South Bend brought in right-hander Ethan Bell from the bullpen for the final out to force extras. Bell struck out Alex McCoy, and for the second time this week, the two teams were heading to extras. The Cubs did not play a single extra innings game this season until Thursday night’s doubleheader. They’ve now played two.

The 10th saw South Bend fail to score in the top of the inning. But thanks to Fort Wayne struggling to get a bunt down in the bottom of the 10th, South Bend got out of the frame with the winning run 90-feet away thanks to Bell striking out Wyatt Hoffman.

The 11th inning brought along better Cubs success. Kane Kepley’s fly out to right field pushed courtesy runner Christian Olivo to third base. The next batter was Southisene, who drove in the eventual game winning run with a base knock. Southisene finished the game with three key RBI.

It was Bell’s job to finish things off in the bottom of the 11th. The TinCaps laid down a successful sac-bunt this time, maneuvering Hoffman over to third base. With one out and the tying run 90-feet from the plate, Bell struck out Kasen Wells for the second out. After Carlos Rodriguez walked, McCoy grounded out to Alex Madera to end the game.

With the win, South Bend reaches the 40-win mark on the season, and earns the club’s first victory of the second-half. This week’s series in Fort Wayne is tied at two wins apiece, and the hoosier state rivals will get together again on Saturday evening at 6:35 PM at Parkview Field.