The Lansing Lugnuts and the South Bend Cubs got the week started off with a three game series at Cooley Law School Stadium that saw the hometown Lugnuts win one and drop two. It was an offensive extravaganza as the winning team put up double digit runs in all three games and there was a combined 56 runs scored over the course of the series.
Game 1: Lansing 11, South Bend 5
The Cubs took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth before the Lugnuts erupted for five runs to secure the lead. Ryan Hissey singled home the red hot Bradley Jones to tie the game up at four, but the inning was really highlighted by two home runs, a two run shot of off the bat of Edward Olivares (4) and then another two run homer from J.B. Woodman (1). The Lugnuts would surrender one more run to the Cubs in the top of the 7th before adding three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to the blowout win. Olivares entered the bottom of the eighth needing a triple for the cycle, and a triple he would get. He went 4/5 on the day and secured the first cycle of the Class-A season.
WP: Philip Walby (2-0) LP: Pedro Silverio (1-2) S: Jackson McClelland (3)
Top Performers:
Lansing Lugnuts –
Edward Olivares: 4/5, Cycle, 4 RBI, 2 R
Bradley Jones: 3/4, 1 3B, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R
South Bend Cubs –
Vimael Machin: 2/5, 1 2B
Isaac Paredes: 1/4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Game 2: South Bend 11, Lansing 6
Cubs Prospect Zack Short / Photo by Mathew Carper
The Cubs went up in this one early and often, putting up five runs in the second inning and scoring in four different innings in the game. Zack Short got the scoring started in the top half of the second when he hit his first of two home runs on the day, a three run shot over the fence in left field. Lansing put up two runs in their half of the second, but could never quite catch up. Short hit his second three run homer of the game in the fifth to put the Cubs on top 9-2. Lansing trailed 11-3 going into the bottom half of the ninth and although they put up a few runs in the inning, including a two run homer from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the daunting comeback attempt came up short. Cubs starting pitcher, Manuel Rondon went four innings and gave up 2 runs while walking five and only striking out one.
WP: Dakota Mekkes (2-0) LP: Mike Ellenbest (0-2)
Top Performers:
South Bend Cubs –
Zack Short: 3/5, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 2 R
Jhonny Pereda: 4/5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R
Lansing Lugnuts –
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 3/4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jake Thomas: 3/4, 2 RBI
Game 3: South Bend 14, Lansing 9
Yet another offensive heavy game, this one was back and forth with someone scoring in every single inning except for the sixth. With 26 combined hits, 6 combined errors, and 18 combined walks, people were reaching base in every way you could imagine. Both starting pitchers lasted four innings with Jose Paulino giving up seven runs, five earned, for the Cubs, and Denis Diaz giving up six runs, five earned, for the Lugnuts. Five South Bend players had multiple hit games while Kevonte Mitchell led the way with four hits of his own, but the player of the game had to be Vimael Machin would had 5 RBI on the day with a homer and a double.
WP: Kyle Miller (1-0) LP: Chris Hall (0-1)
Top Performers:
South Bend Cubs –
Vimael Machin: 3/5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 5 RBI
Kevonte Mitchell: 4/6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Lansing Lugnuts –
Bo Bichette: 2/5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI
J.B. Woodman: 2/4, 1 3B, 1 RBI
South Bend improves to 12-8 on the season while Lansing is sitting at .500 with 10 wins and 10 losses. Lansing will finish out April with a four game road trip at Bowling Green (10-9) before returning home for a six game homestand to open up May. South Bend will continue their road trip with a four game series at Fort Wayne (7-13).
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