South Bend Pitching Shines, Cubs Knock off Kernels 6-1

South Bend, IN -South Bend’s Richard Gallardo struck out seven in his 5.2 scoreless innings, setting the tone for the rest of the Cubs' pitching staff that allowed just a single run in the team’s 6-1 victory over Cedar Rapids Saturday afternoon.

Gallardo’s day began with three straight scoreless frames, including a 1-2-3 third keeping the game scoreless for the South Bend offense that hopped on the board first without a hit in the home half of the third inning. After Cedar Rapids starter Jaylen Nowlin (4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 HBP) hit back-to-back batters to start the frame. Fabian Pertuz grounded a potential double-play ball that was dropped at second, allowing Christian Franklin to touch home plate and to put the Cubs on top.

In the bottom of the fifth, South Bend doubled its lead on one swing. To lead off the inning, Ezequiel Pagan lined a ball over the right field fence for his first home run of the season, making it 2-0 Cubs after five.

With the Cedar Rapids offense still being shutout South Bend put together its biggest frame in the bottom of the seventh. Five straight singles by the top five batters in the Cubs' order pushed three runs across the dish as the score was extended to 5-0 after seven innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, South Bend extended the lead to 6-0. Back-to-back singles began the inning, then after a flyout, Pertuz drove in his second run of the day on a fielder’s choice to grow the lead to 6-0.

The Kernels avoided the shutout in the top of the ninth inning when Ben Ross smashed his third home run of the season over the left field wall to make it 6-1, a tally that would be the final.

The loss snaps the Cedar Rapids (12-13) three-game-winning streak. As the Cubs (15-11) now have a chance to split the series at three games a piece tomorrow afternoon. Tyler Santana makes his second start of the series for the Cubs, opposite Kyle Jones, who makes the start for the Kernels at 1:05.