Yake Walks Off Cubs in the 12th

CEDAR RAPIDS - An unexpected hero came through with the clutch base hit to end the game Thursday night. Ernie Yake, who entered the game as a pinch runner in the 11th, singled his first time up with two runners on and two outs in the 12th, scoring Noah Miller to give the Kernels a 6-5 win.

It's another tough one to swallow for the Cubs, especially given the fact they had allowed just three base hits through the first 11 innings.

The Cubs entered tonight 10-1 against lefties and with Christian MacLeod going for the home team and Cade Horton getting the start for South Bend, there was certainly reason for optimism.

South Bend scored the first run of the game in the fourth. James Triantos started the inning with a double and two batters later scored on a Yohendrick Pinango single up the middle with the infield drawn in. Luis Verdugo registered a single and following a double steal the Cubs had two men in scoring position with one out. MacLeod would get back-to-back punch outs to end the inning.

Horton again looked untouchable all night, but one mistake would burn him. The flame-throwing righty struck out the side in order in the first and only allowed one baserunner through the first three innings. However, he walked Emmanuel Rodriguez to begin the fourth and Kala'I Rosario launched a two-run homer to left on a 2-0 fastball and gave the Kernels their first lead.

Ezequiel Pagan, who picked up three hits and two RBIs on the night, tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth. Pagan stole second, recording his third steal of the series. He came home on a Kevin Alcántara fielder's choice and South Bend took a 3-2 lead.

In this see-saw affair, the Kernels quickly tied it back up in the bottom of the inning. Jose Salas worked a leadoff walk, stole second base, and scored on a two-out double to left-center from Tanner Schobel. That marked just the second hit for the Kernels but tied things up again, 3-3.

Neither team would score again until we went into extras. The defense also really stepped up for the Cubs with Christian Franklin throwing out Rosario at third base in the sixth as he tried to go first-to-third on a hit to center. Ed Howard also caught two line drives and turned them both into double plays in the eighth and ninth.

In extras Pagan put the Cubs back ahead with a single that plated Casey Opitz in the 10th. Cedar Rapids evened it up without a hit, utilizing a sac-bunt from Salas and then a sac-sly from Andrew Cossetti. The sac-fly went to left field and Pinango's throw to the plate was on the money just a split-second too late.

In the 11th Bryce Ball quickly vaulted the Cubs ahead with an RBI single to right. The throw from Rosario went all the way home and Ball tried to take second but was thrown out by Noah Cardenas. The Kernels again tied it without a base hit. This time a ground ball back to Frankie Scalzo Jr. started the inning, he turned to third and had Yake dead to rights but sailed the throw past Luis Verdugo. That tied the game and gave the Kernels a runner at second, nobody out, and the heart of the order due up. Scalzo buckled down and retired three of the next four batters, intentionally walking Rosario and then getting Cardenas to ground out to second to end the 11th.

South Bend stranded men at the corners, failing to score in the 12th. Eduarniel Nunez came in to pitch the 12th and walked Miller to begin the inning. Salas squared to bunt on the next pitch and took a strike, but Cardenas was a mile off the bag and Casey Opitz snapped a throw to second, catching his counterpart sleeping for a key first out. Salas then ripped a single up the middle. Nunez struck out Cossetti swinging after falling behind 3-and-0, but then he fell behind Yake 2-and-0. Yake sat fastball, got it, and hit a hot-shot into right to end the game.

Thursday's game tied the longest game of the season for the Cubs at 3:06, and Cedar Rapids somehow picked up 40% of their total hits in the 12th inning.