Iowa Falls In Pitchers' Duel, South Bend Rolls, Pelicans Washed Out

[Travis Klosinski]

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Wicks Brilliant, But Iowa Bats Go Cold In 1-0 Loss To Memphis

The Iowa Cubs, playing as the Iowa Oaks for the night, dropped a 1-0 decision to the Memphis Redbirds at Principal Park, falling despite outhitting the visitors 6-4. Starter Jordan Wicks was excellent across five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking two and striking out two. 

Luis Peralta took the loss after surrendering the game's lone run over two innings of relief, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out two. Tyler Ferguson worked a hitless eighth, and Corbin Martin tossed a clean ninth with a strikeout.

The game's only run came in the top of the sixth off Peralta. Memphis opened the inning with a hit-by-pitch and a walk to put runners on, then a single loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly to center field plated the runner from third before a 5-4-3 double play ended the threat.

Iowa nearly answered in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Kevin Alcántara drew a walk, James Triantos followed with a single to center, and Owen Miller laced a single to left field. Alcántara was thrown out at home plate on the throw from left field, ending the game with the tying run dying ninety feet from home.

Miller led Iowa with two hits, while BJ Murray, Triantos, Chas McCormick, and Brett Bateman each added one. Bateman's double was the team's lone extra-base hit. Iowa drew three walks but struck out eight times and stranded six runners.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Justin Dean	3	0	0	0	1	3
BJ Murray	4	0	1	0	0	2
Jonathon Long	4	0	0	0	0	0
Kevin Alcántara	2	0	0	0	2	2
James Triantos	4	0	1	0	0	0
Owen Miller	4	0	2	0	0	0
Chas McCormick	3	0	1	0	0	1
Eric Yang	3	0	0	0	0	0
Brett Bateman	3	0	1	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jordan Wicks	5	1	0	0	2	2	0
Luis Peralta	2	1	1	1	1	2	0
Tyler Ferguson	1	2	0	0	1	0	0
Corbin Martin	1	0	0	0	0	1	0

Knoxville Smokies: No Game Scheduled

The Double-A Smokies did not play.

Halbach Homers, Four-Run Fifth Carries South Bend Past West Michigan

The South Bend Cubs rolled past the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-1 at LMCU Ballpark, breaking the game open with a four-run fifth inning.

Starter Ethan Flanagan allowed one unearned run on three hits over four innings, walking none and striking out three. Kenyi Perez followed with a perfect inning of relief and two strikeouts. Kevin Valdez tossed four scoreless innings on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts to earn his second win.

After West Michigan scratched out an unearned run in the bottom of the first, the Cubs answered with two in the third. Leadoff man Kane Kepley singled home Christian Olivo, and Cameron Sisneros followed with a single that scored Kepley to give South Bend a 2-1 lead. Matt Halbach launched his fourth home run of the season in the fourth to push it to 3-1.

The fifth inning was the difference. Olivo and Kepley both walked to start the frame, Leonel Espinoza laced a two-run double to left, and cleanup hitter Kade Snell singled home Espinoza. South Bend pushed one more run across before the inning was through to make it 7-1. 

Espinoza led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Sisneros and Snell each added two hits and an RBI, and Kepley reached base three times with a hit and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one. Halbach contributed a hit and the home run. South Bend collected nine hits and drew five walks.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	4	2	1	1	1	0
Leonel Espinoza	5	1	1	2	0	1
Cameron Sisneros	4	0	2	1	1	0
Kade Snell	5	1	2	1	0	1
Matt Halbach	4	1	1	1	0	0
Alex Madera	3	0	1	0	1	0
Justin Stransky	4	0	0	0	0	1
Drew Bowser	4	0	0	0	0	3
Christian Olivo	2	2	1	0	2	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Ethan Flanagan	4	3	1	0	0	3	0
Kenyi Perez	1	0	0	0	0	2	0
Kevin Valdez	4	4	0	0	1	2	0

Lovich Homer Lone Bright Spot As Rain Ends Pelicans' Night

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a rain-shortened 3-1 decision to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark, with the game called in the bottom of the fifth.

Starter Daniel Avitia took the loss despite a strong strikeout effort, going four innings with seven strikeouts on three hits, three runs, two earned, and three walks. He surrendered a two-run home run in the third that proved to be the decisive blow. Edwardo Melendez followed with a third of an inning, allowing one hit and striking out one before the game was called.

Kannapolis took an early 1-0 lead in the first when a Pelicans throwing error allowed an unearned run to score. The home side made it 3-0 in the third on the two-run home run off Avitia.

The Pelicans finally got on the board in the fifth. Eli Lovich led off the inning with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-1. 

That was the only run Myrtle Beach pushed across, as the next two batters were retired, and play was halted with one out in the bottom of the inning due to rain.

Myrtle Beach finished with four hits and one extra-base hit, Lovich's homer. Josiah Hartshorn, Derniche Valdez, Lovich, and Edward Vargas each had one hit. The Pelicans drew two walks but struck out seven times against Kannapolis pitching.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alexis Hernandez	2	0	0	0	1	1
Alexey Lumpuy	2	0	0	0	1	2
Josiah Hartshorn	2	0	1	0	0	0
Jose Escobar	2	0	0	0	0	1
Yahil Melendez	2	0	0	0	0	1
Derniche Valdez	2	0	1	0	0	0
Jairo Diaz	2	0	0	0	0	2
Eli Lovich	2	1	1	1	0	0
Edward Vargas	2	0	1	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Daniel Avitia	4	3	3	2	3	7	1
Edwardo Melendez	1/3	1	0	0	0	1	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: DNP
2. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
3. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
4. Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
5. Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-2
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
8. Jonathon Long: 0-for-4
9. James Triantos: 1-for-4
10. Cole Mathis: DNP
11. Owen Ayers: DNP
12. Brooks Caple: DNP
13. Juan Cabada: DNP
14. Kaleb Wing: DNP
15. Angel Cepeda: DNP
16. Dominick Reid: DNP
17. Jostin Florentino: DNP
18. Ty Southisene: DNP
19. Will Sanders: DNP
20. Brandon Birdsell: DNP

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