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GAME ONE:
Peoria, IL– Timely hitting lifted the South Bend Cubs to a 3-2 win in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Peoria Chiefs.
Logan Gragg and Alexander Vizcaino traded blows for the first four innings as both teams were without a run through three and a half. For Peoria, Gragg was solid on the bump, as he whiffed five batters in five innings.
Peoria broke through in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Jordan Walker drew a lead-off walk to begin the inning and proceeded to steal second and third base. Leandro Cedeno’s one-out single drove home Walker to put the Chiefs on the board.
The lead would not last for long, however, as Yohendrick Pinango’s RBI fielder’s choice knotted the game at 1-1. South Bend took their first lead of the contest in the next inning on a solo home run from Bryce Ball.
It did not take long for Peoria to once again knot the score up. Masyn Winn led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a bunt single and advanced to second base on a South Bend throwing error. Cedeno’s second RBI of the contest scored Winn to tie the game at 2-2.
Paul Schwendel was cruising through the top of the seventh inning. With two outs and two strikes, Luis Vazquez homered over the left field fence to give the Cubs a late 3-2 lead. Peoria went down in order in the bottom half of the inning, and South Bend won their fourth straight in the series.
GAME TWO:
Peoria, IL– The Chiefs bounced back in game two to secure a split of Thursday’s doubleheader, as Leandro Cedeno carried the offense once again, while the bullpen proved stout late in a 3-1 win.
Nearly 50 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, the Chiefs bats remained hot to begin the second half of the twin bill. Cedeno drove in his third run of the night to give Peoria an early 1-0 advantage. Masyn Winn’s lone hit of the contest drove in Matt Chamberlain an inning later to double the lead to 2-0.
South Bend scored their only run of the game in the third inning thanks to a two-out rally. A pair of singles and a Tyler Durna double made it 2-1.
Despite running into some turbulence in his last two innings on the mound, Mac Lardner gave up only one run on the night. The southpaw escaped a bases loaded, no-out jam in the fourth inning, ending his outing on a high note. Nick Trogrlic-Iverson and Leonardo Taveras combined for three innings of shutout baseball in relief. Taveras picked up his third save of the season as he retired Alexander Canario on the 10th pitch of his at-bat to lock down the win.
The series continues tomorrow from Dozer Park. Connor Lunn will start for the Chiefs, while Anderson Espinoza goes for South Bend. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
