Kalmer's Epic Blast Walks Off Whitecaps in Extras

SOUTH BEND, IN - Friday night was baseball at its absolute best at Four Winds Field.

Incredible crowd, gorgeous summer night, captivating game, and the finish of the year.

With one out in the bottom of the 10th, in a 2-2 game, with the winning run at third, Brian Kalmer belted a majestic walk-off blast over the wall in the left. Ballgame over. Cubs win.

For Kalmer, his first home run of the season came last week on the road, and his first homer in front of the home crowd (which numbered 6,452) came in absolutely electric fashion. South Bend has won back-to-back series and this group is thriving right now in the middle of the summer, rounding into form as the season nears its midway point.

The Cubs deserved this win tonight, outhitting the Whitecaps 10-3 but never leading until the final swing of the game.

Jose Romero was the reason South Bend needed just one run to cap the night with a walk-off in extras. Romero retired the side in order in the ninth and then in the 10th, with a runner starting at second and no outs, he punched out three straight to escape the frame with all of the momentum back in the home dugout.

Drew Gray (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) got the start as he has all year for the Cubs, taking the ball each Friday night. He went a career-high 5 innings and allowing just two runs in the second innings. Roberto Campos began the inning with a double and then Stephen Scott, in his first minor league rehab action with West Michigan, worked a quick walk. Luke Gold’s first double of the night put the visitors ahead and a sac-fly two batters later from Danny Serretti doubled the lead.

West Michigan wouldn’t score again over the final eight innings. Gold actually hit a smash to left in the fourth with two outs that certainly appeared to clear the yellow line for a home run, but was ruled a double. Gold would be stranded at second, a massive call in a game that wouldn’t be decided in nine innings.

Felix Stevens got the Cubs on the board with a solo blast to center to begin the second inning, his 11th homer of the season, moving him into solo second place in the Midwest League. His long ball was the only damage against starter Joe Miller.

Cleiverth Perez tossed the next three frames in scoreless fashion as the Whitecaps took a 2-1 lead into the seventh. Ed Howard would score the game-tying run after reaching on a leadoff walk against Matt Merrill. Rafael Morel flared a single down the line in right that sent Howard sprinting all the way to third. Pedro Ramirez followed with a shallow liner to center that was caught by Seth Stephenson and proved to be just deep enough for Howard to score, sliding into just before the tag from catcher Bennet Lee.

Aaron Perry came in for Gray and tossed a scoreless, and hitless, sixth through eighth inning, fanning five alone the way.

He gave way to Romero and the rest was history.

The series is now tied 2-2 and South Bend will enter play Saturday on quite the emotional high trying to regain the series lead.