Fernandez’s Three RBI, Lifts Loons to .500 

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (6-6) are back at .500 after gashing the South Bend Cubs (7-5) with 11 hits and winning 5-2 on a 58-degree partly cloudy night at Dow Diamond.

Ben Casparius started for the Loons and for the second time in three starts finished five innings. His outing didn’t begin as planned, his first pitch was lofted over the left-field wall by Bradlee Beasley. The right-hander bounced back permitting just two baserunners through his first four innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Great Lakes took three of their five runs. After leaving six on base through the first three innings, Taylor Young began the frame with a triple to left field. The next two were retired, but the Loons would not leave Young hanging.

Jake Vogel and Damon Keith would walk to load the bases. For the second time in the series, Dalton Rushing would force a bases-loaded walk and tie the game. Yeiner Fernadez would follow that up by slapping the first pitch he saw into shallow right to bring Vogel and Keith across, making it 3-1. South Bend’s Tyler Santana threw 33 pitches in the half-inning

The Cubs would cut the deficit and tag Casparius once more before his day was done. With two outs, Liam Spence smashed his first home run of 2023, to bring the score to 3-2.

It was as close as South Bend got. Dalton Rushing supplied his seventh RBI this series. A solo blast 410 feet to right field with a 105 miles per hour exit velocity, the 2022 Second Round Pick’s first homer at High-A. Yeiner Fernandez added the fifth Great Lakes run, with a sacrifice fly to left.

Four pitchers worked the final four innings for the Loons. Michael Hobbs stranded two Cubs, forcing three flyouts to each outfield position. Reinaldo De Paula worked around to walks for a clean seventh, and Aldry Acosta forced a 4-6-3 double play to end the eighth.

Jake Pilarski was granted his third save opportunity and got the final three outs, firing 16 pitches, and 12 strikes.

Great Lakes and South Bend have three games against each other remaining this season. Tomorrow Friday, April 21st at Dow Diamond will see game four of the series The first pitch is 6:05 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.