Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Rojas Leads 14-Run Explosion, Carico Powers Pelicans

[Travis Klosinski]

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Iowa Falls Flat In Louisville Rout

The Iowa Cubs were overwhelmed by the Louisville Bats in a 20-3 loss.

Iowa managed 10 hits but stranded 11 runners and could not keep pace. Scott Kingery provided the lone power, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.

Justin Dean added two hits from the leadoff spot, and Kevin Alcántara doubled and drove in a run. Starter Connor Noland took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits over four innings without recording a strikeout.

The game broke open late, as Louisville plated four in the fifth and erupted for 11 runs in the eighth. Zac Leigh struggled most, surrendering eight runs in two-thirds of an inning, and catcher Casey Opitz was pressed into mound duty and gave up three runs in the ninth.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Justin Dean	5	0	2	0	0	0
Jonathon Long	5	0	1	0	0	2
BJ Murray	3	1	2	0	2	1
Owen Miller	4	0	0	0	1	2
Kevin Alcántara	5	0	2	1	0	2
James Triantos	2	0	0	0	1	1
Chas McCormick	4	0	0	0	0	1
Christian Bethancourt	4	1	1	0	0	1
Scott Kingery	4	1	2	2	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Connor Noland	4	6	4	4	0	0	1
Collin Snider	1	3	4	4	1	2	1
Antoine Kelly	1 1/3	4	1	1	0	1	1
Zac Leigh	2/3	4	8	8	4	1	0
Casey Opitz	1	4	3	3	0	0	1

Smokies Erupt Late To Bury Montgomery

The Knoxville Smokies broke a tie game open with a five-run sixth and a five-run seventh to beat the Montgomery Biscuits, 14-5.

Jefferson Rojas led the offense, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Owen Ayers added three hits.

Hayden Cantrelle was a catalyst at the bottom of the order, reaching base four times and driving in three runs, while Carter Trice doubled twice and knocked in two. 

The sixth inning turned a 3-3 game into an 8-4 lead. Cantrelle grounded out to bring home a run, Rojas singled to score two, and Trice doubled in two more. Knoxville kept pouring it on in the seventh, when Cantrelle singled home two runs and Rojas followed with a two-run single.

Tyler Ras was excellent out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and three hits over 3 2/3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts to pick up the win. Evan Taylor closed it out with three strikeouts over the final two innings.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Karson Simas	4	3	2	0	2	1
Jefferson Rojas	5	1	3	3	0	0
Owen Ayers	4	1	3	1	1	0
Carter Trice	6	0	2	2	0	1
Alex Ramírez	5	1	1	1	0	0
Edgar Alvarez	4	2	1	0	1	2
Ariel Armas	4	2	1	0	0	0
Cameron Sisneros	4	2	1	1	1	0
Hayden Cantrelle	3	2	2	3	2	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Dawson Netz	3 1/3	4	4	4	4	3	2
Tyler Ras	3 2/3	3	0	0	1	4	0
Evan Taylor	2	2	1	1	1	3	0

South Bend Bats Can't Keep Up With Peoria

The South Bend Cubs slugged two home runs but could not overcome a relentless Peoria Chiefs attack in a 16-7 defeat.

Josiah Hartshorn led the way, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and Drew Bowser matched him with a homer, a double, and three RBI of his own. 

Miguel Useche added two hits. South Bend answered an early four-run deficit with a three-run second, capped by Bowser's three-run homer. Hartshorn's two-run shot in the fifth pulled the Cubs within striking distance, but the bullpen could not hold the line.

Starter Cole Reynolds took the loss after allowing eight runs on five hits over three innings, walking three and striking out one. Ben Johnson surrendered four runs across two innings, while Grayson Moore provided 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	4	0	1	0	0	1
Ty Southisene	3	2	1	0	1	1
Josiah Hartshorn	3	2	2	3	0	0
Matt Halbach	3	0	0	0	0	1
Miguel Useche	3	1	2	1	0	0
Jose Escobar	2	1	1	0	1	0
Drew Bowser	3	1	2	3	0	1
Alex Madera	3	0	0	0	0	1
Christian Olivo	3	0	0	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Cole Reynolds	3	5	8	8	3	1	1
Ben Johnson	2	5	4	4	1	2	2
JP Wheat	2/3	3	4	4	1	0	0
Grayson Moore	1 1/3	1	0	0	1	1	0

Pelicans Surge Past Augusta In Middle Innings

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans rallied from an early deficit, scoring five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to defeat the Augusta GreenJackets, 11-7.

Michael Carico paced the attack, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI, while Logan Poteet drove in three. Derniche Valdez homered, and Darlyn De Leon swiped four bases. The fifth inning erased a four-run hole, as Poteet doubled home two runs, Carico followed with a two-run homer, and Valdez added a solo shot to push the Pelicans ahead.

They tacked on four in the sixth, highlighted by Poteet's bases-loaded walk and Carico's two-run single. Noah Edders struck out eight over four innings but allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk.

Henry Cone earned the win with three innings of one-run ball, walking three and striking out three.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alexis Hernandez	3	2	1	0	2	0
Eli Lovich	4	1	0	0	1	1
Logan Poteet	4	1	1	3	1	1
Michael Carico	5	2	3	4	0	1
Derniche Valdez	4	1	2	1	0	1
Yahil Melendez	3	1	1	1	1	1
Geuri Lubo	4	0	1	1	0	0
Edward Vargas	4	1	2	0	0	0
Darlyn De Leon	4	2	2	0	0	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Noah Edders	4	4	4	1	1	8	1
Henry Cone	3	3	1	1	3	3	0
Jordan Henriquez	2	2	2	2	1	4	1

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: 3-for-5, 3 RBI
2. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
3. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
4. Kevin Alcantara: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K
5. Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, K
8. Jonathon Long: 1-for-5, 2 K
9. James Triantos: 0-for-2, BB, K
10. Cole Mathis: DNP
11. Owen Ayers: 3-for-4, RBI, BB
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: 1-for-3, BB, SB, K
19. Will Sanders: DNP
20. Brandon Birdsell: DNP

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