Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Seventh Inning Surges Lift Iowa And Knoxville

[Travis Klosinski]

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Iowa Cubs Score Seven Over Two Innings To Edge St. Paul

The Iowa Cubs trailed 3-0 through five innings, then scored seven runs over the next two and held on for a 7-6 win over St. Paul. Kevin Alcantara started the comeback with a two run homer, his 19th of the season, that brought home Owen Miller.

The seventh inning delivered the rest. Justin Dean opened with a double, Greg Jones singled him home, and Ben Cowles doubled to put runners at second and third. Jordan Nwogu singled to score both Jones and Cowles, and BJ Murray followed with a two run homer, his 14th, that scored Nwogu and pushed the lead to 7-3.

Alcantara added a double later in the frame and finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI. Nwogu went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, Miller went 2-for-4 with a double, and Murray drove in two. Iowa totaled 10 hits, four doubles, two home runs, and three walks, and left six runners on base.

Braxton Garrett started and allowed one run on one hit with six walks and one strikeout over two innings. Luis Peralta allowed two runs on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts across two innings, and Hoby Milner allowed one hit and one walk over one inning without a run. Connor Noland earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks over 3 2/3 innings. Tyler Ferguson closed it out for his second save after St. Paul cut the deficit to one run

Iowa Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
BJ Murray	5	1	1	2	0	2
Owen Miller	4	1	2	0	0	0
Owen Ayers	3	0	0	0	1	2
Kevin Alcantara	4	1	2	2	0	1
Chas McCormick	4	0	0	0	0	1
Justin Dean	4	1	1	0	0	1
Greg Jones	3	1	1	1	1	2
Ben Cowles	4	1	1	0	0	0
Jordan Nwogu	3	1	2	2	1	1

Iowa Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Braxton Garrett	2	1	1	1	6	1	0
Luis Peralta	2	1	2	2	1	2	0
Hoby Milner	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
Connor Noland	3 2/3	7	3	3	0	3	1
Tyler Ferguson	1/3	0	0	0	0	0	0

Knoxville Smokies Break Through With Four Run Seventh Against Rocket City

The Knoxville Smokies collected 13 hits and pulled away late for a 7-1 win over Rocket City.

Knoxville tied the game in the second inning when Dom Krupinski walked, Ariel Armas singled, and Drew Bowser singled to bring Krupinski home. Carter Trice scored on a Krupinski groundout in the fourth, and Armas singled home Trice in the sixth for a 3-1 lead.

The seventh inning turned it into a rout. Bowser opened with a single and was forced at second on a Karson Simas grounder. Kane Kepley singled to move Simas to third, and Alex Ramirez doubled to score both Simas and Kepley.

Miguel Useche followed with a double that scored Ramirez, and Andy Garriola singled home Useche for the fourth run of the inning.

Armas led the offense with a 3-for-4 night and one RBI. Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, Useche went 2-for-5 with two doubles and one RBI, and Bowser went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Trice scored twice, and Kepley, leading off, singled and scored. Knoxville left eight runners on base.

Connor Schultz earned the win after allowing one run on five hits with one walk and one strikeout over five innings. Shelby Miller struck out all three batters he faced over one inning. Tyler Schlaffer allowed two hits with two strikeouts over two innings and did not allow a run, and Vince Reilly struck out one over a hitless inning. The staff issued just one walk.

Knoxville Smokies Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	4	1	1	0	0	1
Alex Ramirez	5	1	2	2	0	2
Miguel Useche	5	1	2	1	0	0
Andy Garriola	4	0	1	1	0	2
Carter Trice	4	2	1	0	0	0
Dom Krupinski	3	1	1	0	1	1
Ariel Armas	4	0	3	1	0	0
Drew Bowser	4	0	2	1	0	0
Karson Simas	4	1	0	0	0	0

Knoxville Smokies Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Connor Schultz	5	5	1	1	1	1	0
Shelby Miller	1	0	0	0	0	3	0
Tyler Schlaffer	2	2	0	0	0	2	0
Vince Reilly	1	0	0	0	0	1	0

South Bend Cubs Fall At Great Lakes After Six Run Sixth

The South Bend Cubs managed three hits and dropped an 11-3 decision at Great Lakes.

South Bend fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and did not answer until the fourth. Alexey Lumpuy was hit by a pitch, Logan Poteet doubled him to third, and Michael Hallquist walked to load the bases. Justin Stransky was hit by a pitch to force in the first run, and Kade Snell, batting leadoff, lifted a sacrifice fly to score Poteet and cut the deficit to 3-2.

The sixth inning ended the competitive portion of the night. Great Lakes sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on five hits, two triples among them, plus two walks, and South Bend never recovered. The last South Bend run came in the eighth, when Lumpuy walked, Stransky walked, Snell reached on catcher interference, and Angel Cepeda was hit by a pitch to force in a run.

Poteet went 1-for-3 with a double, Cepeda went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, and Jose Escobar went 1-for-4 with a walk. Josiah Hartshorn went 0-for-4. South Bend drew seven walks and struck out nine times, and left 12 runners on base.

Braylon Myers started and took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout over 2 1/3 innings. Jose Romero allowed two runs on two hits with two walks over one inning. Noah Edders was charged with six runs on five hits over 2/3 of an inning. Nate Williams retired all five batters he faced with two strikeouts over 1 2/3 innings, and Luis Rujano did not allow a hit over 2 1/3 innings.

South Bend Cubs Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kade Snell	3	0	0	1	0	1
Angel Cepeda	3	0	1	1	1	1
Josiah Hartshorn	4	0	0	0	0	0
Jose Escobar	4	0	1	0	1	1
Matt Halbach	5	0	0	0	0	1
Alexey Lumpuy	2	2	0	0	2	1
Logan Poteet	3	1	1	0	0	1
Geuri Lubo	1	0	0	0	0	1
Michael Hallquist	3	0	0	0	1	2
Justin Stransky	1	0	0	1	2	0

South Bend Cubs Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Braylon Myers	2 1/3	3	3	3	3	1	0
Jose Romero	1	2	2	2	2	0	0
Nate Williams	1 2/3	0	0	0	0	2	0
Noah Edders	2/3	5	6	6	2	2	0
Luis Rujano	2 1/3	0	0	0	2	0	0

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Ride Two-Hitter Past Hill City

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans held Hill City to two hits and won 3-1.

Myrtle Beach scored in the first inning when Alexis Hernandez walked and came around on an Ethan Conrad double, his fifth of the season. The Pelicans added a run in the second. Eli Lovich walked, Corey Nunez singled him to second, and Ivan Cespedes singled to bring Lovich home for a 2-0 lead.

The winning margin came in the fourth. Jhoander Irigoyen reached on a throwing error and took second, Lovich singled him to third, and Nunez grounded into a force out that scored Irigoyen for a 3-1 lead.

Conrad went 1-for-4 with a double.

Lovich went 1-for-2 with a walk, and Nunez, Cespedes, Jhoander Irigoyen, and Caden Sorrell each had a hit. The Pelicans totaled six hits, two walks, and one double, and left five runners on base. Juan Cabada, batting leadoff, went 0-for-4.

Jubrayker Salaya started and allowed one unearned run on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts over three innings. Victor Zarraga earned the win after allowing no hits and no walks with two strikeouts over three innings. Julio Valdez recorded his first save, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts over three innings, and no run scored against him. The staff walked two, struck out six, and did not allow an earned run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Hitting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Juan Cabada	4	0	0	0	0	1
Alexis Hernandez	3	1	0	0	1	0
Caden Sorrell	4	0	1	0	0	0
Ethan Conrad	4	0	1	0	0	1
Jhoander Irigoyen	4	1	1	0	0	0
Eli Lovich	2	1	1	0	1	1
Corey Nunez	3	0	1	1	0	0
Derniche Valdez	3	0	0	0	0	3
Ivan Cespedes	3	0	1	1	0	1

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Pitching

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jubrayker Salaya	3	1	1	0	1	2	0
Victor Zarraga	3	0	0	0	0	2	0
Julio Valdez	3	1	0	0	1	2	0

Top 20 Prospect Performances

1. Jefferson Rojas: DNP
2. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
3. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
4. Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4
5. Kevin Alcantara: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 1 K
6. Ethan Conrad: 1-for-4, 2B, 1 K
7. Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, 1 K
8. Owen Ayers: 0-for-3, 2 K
9. Jonathon Long: DNP
10. Kaleb Wing: DNP
11. James Triantos: DNP
12. Brooks Caple: DNP
13. Mason McGwire: DNP
14. Ty Southisene: DNP
15. Will Sanders: DNP
16. Juan Cabada: 0-for-4, 1 K
17. Eli Lovich: 1-for-2, 1 K
18. Ariel Armas: 3-for-4
19. Jostin Florentino: DNP
20. Grant Kipp: DNP

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