Cubs Minor League Wrap: South Bend beats rain, Lugnuts, 9-7

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were harried by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 4-1. **Grant Kipp** had an impressive start, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. Kipp struck out eight and walked no one. **Jace Beck** relieved Kipp and took the loss after he allowed one unearned run on one hit over two innings. Beck struck out four and walked one. The Smokies only run came on a home run by first baseman **Owen Ayers** in the bottom of the second inning. It was Ayers’ ninth home run this year and third for Knoxville. Ayers was 1 for 4. Here’s the Ayers home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs nailed the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 9-2. **Eli Jerzembeck’s** High-A debut went about as well as the Cubs could have hoped for. Jerzembeck pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked two, hit two and struck out three. I don’t know if Jerzembeck would have be taken out anyways after 51 pitches, but the game was delayed 92 minutes by rain after three innings. **Alfredo Romero** took over when the rain stopped and he got the win. He gave up two runs on three hits over four innings. Romero struck out two, walked two and hit one batter. South Bend scored nine runs on just seven hits and none of them were home runs. First baseman **Cole Mathis** had one of the two doubles, which drove home two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mathis was 1 for 4. Left fielder **Kane Kepley** went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI double in the sixth inning. Kepley also stole one base. Center fielder **Christian Olivo** was 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove in two runners. Shortstop **Ty Southisene** hit a two-run single in the fifth. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He also scored once. The Mathis double. Southisene’s two-run single.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans boiled the Hickory Crawdads (Padres), 9-7. **Mason McGwire** continued his strong start to the season by allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. Only one of the three runs McGwire allowed was earned. Most impressively, he struck out seven and walked just one. **Braylon Myers** relieved McGwire and got the win. Myers gave up four runs on four hits over three innings. Myers struck out four. **Riely Hunsaker** got his first career save by retiring all six batters over the final two innings. Hunsaker struck out one. Catcher **Logan Poteet** hit a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth on the year. Poteet was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Center fielder **Alexey Lumpuy** clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth. Lumpuy was 1 for 5. The Pelicans took the lead after they scored six runs in the eighth inning. They took the lead when shortstop **Alexis Hernandez** hit a two-run single in that inning. He was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Second baseman **Jose Escobar** was 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run. Poteet’s home run. Lumpuy’s home run. The Hernandez two-run single.

ACL Cubs

Beating the Diamondbacks, 7-6 in the 7th.