Cubs Power Past Kernels 18-8

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - South Bend scored three or more runs in four different innings Friday night, striking for a total of 18 runs in an 18-8 victory over Cedar Rapids.

The Cubs began their big offensive inning in the top of the first inning. An error and a walk put two runners on, and a wild pitch followed by a passed ball opened the scoring to put South Bend on top 1-0. With a runner still in scoring position, a Jose Escobar RBI single doubled the lead to 2-0. After another base hit moved Escobar to third, he scored on a wild pitch to up the advantage to 3-0.

The Kernels got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Yasser Mercedes worked a walk, and after another walk and a fielder’s choice, runners were on the corners with one out. On a steal of second by Jacob McCombs from first base, an error on the throw scored Mercedes to get Cedar Rapids on the board, 3-1.

In the bottom of the second, Danny De Andrade lined a one-out triple in front of Dameury Pena, who drove him in with an RBI groundout to make it a one-run game, 3-2.

South Bend blew it open in the top of the third. The Cubs sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and scored seven times to grow an eight-run lead, 10-2.

Cedar Rapids got back in the game on one swing. In the bottom of the third, a fielder’s choice, hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases for Jose Salas, who blasted a grand slam to right to cut the South Bend lead in half at 10-6.

The Kernels cut it to two in the fifth. Another De Andrade triple led off the inning, and he came home on a balk to make it 10-7. Two batters later, Graham Brown ripped an RBI double in front of Mercedes, who doubled to bring him in and cut the lead to 10-8.

But that was the end of the Cedar Rapids scoring on the night. Ethan Flanagan came on out of the Cubs bullpen and did not allow a run across the final four innings, allowing only two hits while striking out seven.

With Flanagan holding things down on the mound, the Cubs scored three times in the seventh and five more times in the ninth to finish the night with 18 runs in an 18-8 win.

The loss drops the Kernels to 34-48 on the year and to 3-15 in the second half. The penultimate game of the series with South Bend is set for Saturday at 6:35. Adrian Bohorquez gets the start on the mound opposite Alfredo Romero.