Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Ayers And Sorrell Deliver On A Split Night

Chicago Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs optioned OF Kevin Alcántara to Iowa Cubs.

Owen Ayers' Walk-Off Double Finishes Iowa's Rally

The Iowa Cubs beat the Omaha Storm Chasers 7-6 on a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning. Iowa finished with 11 hits, three doubles, one triple, three errors, and eight runners left on base.

Iowa built its lead in the second inning. BJ Murray tripled, and Chas McCormick brought him home with a single. Jordan Nwogu struck out, then Greg Jones singled McCormick to second base. Ben Cowles followed with a single that scored McCormick and Jones for a 3-0 lead.

James Triantos added a two-out single before the inning ended.

Two more runs followed in the fifth. Owen Miller doubled to open the frame, and after two strikeouts, McCormick singled him in. Nwogu then doubled McCormick home to make it 5-0.

Omaha answered with five runs. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, a wild pitch scored one run, a fielding error by Miller let two more score, and a two-run double tied the game at 5-5. Omaha took a 6-5 lead in the eighth on a two-out single.

Iowa needed three batters in the ninth. Leadoff man Triantos singled, Miller walked, and Owen Ayers doubled to center field to score them both.

Andrew Wantz turned in a scoreless five innings with three hits allowed, two walks, and three strikeouts. Antoine Kelly recorded one out and gave up three hits, five runs, four of them earned, two walks, and a strikeout. Eduarniel Núñez retired both batters he needed, striking out one.

Jaxon Wiggins allowed one hit and struck out one. Grant Kipp took the win with two innings, one hit, one run, and two walks. McCormick went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, Cowles went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, and Triantos went 2-for-4 with a walk.

Jake Knapp's Seven Strikeouts Cannot Offset Knoxville's Quiet Night

The Knoxville Smokies lost 8-1 at Biloxi. Knoxville managed six hits, two doubles, and five walks, struck out eight times, and left seven runners on base.

Biloxi opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning on a run-scoring double, a throwing error by Andy Garriola, and a two-run home run. Two more came in the third on a walk and a two-run home run, which pushed the deficit to 5-0.

Knoxville's only run came in the fourth. Edgar Alvarez doubled to lead off the inning, and after a strikeout, Carter Trice doubled him home to cut the lead to 5-1. Two more outs followed, and that was the closest the Smokies came. Biloxi added two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh.

Jake Knapp struck out seven over 2 2/3 innings, but he allowed five hits, five runs, one walk, and two home runs, and he took the loss. Grayson Moore worked 2 1/3 innings and gave up four hits, two runs, a home run, and a strikeout without issuing a walk. Kenyi Perez had the strongest outing of the group, allowing one hit and one walk over one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Luis Rujano covered two innings with one hit, one run, one walk, three strikeouts, and a home run. The Knoxville staff struck out 13 in total.

Trice led the offense at 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and the team's only RBI. Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a double and scored the run. Alex Ramírez, Garriola, and Alex Madera each had one hit.

South Bend Held To Four Hits In Wisconsin Shutout

The South Bend Cubs were shut out 9-0 at Wisconsin. South Bend collected four hits and two walks, struck out 11 times, committed two errors, and left five runners on base.

Wisconsin scored once in the second inning, then broke the game open with four runs in the third. A walk and a double put runners at second and third base, a two-run double followed, another walk loaded the bases, and a walk paired with a wild pitch brought home two more runs for a 5-0 lead. Wisconsin added single runs in the fifth and eighth innings and two in the seventh.

South Bend's best chance came in the seventh. Kade Snell singled, and Alexey Lumpuy followed with a single that moved Snell to second base, but the inning ended there. Justin Stransky singled in the fourth, and Michael Hallquist doubled in the eighth for the team's only extra-base hit.

Nazier Mulé took the loss after 2 1/3 innings with three hits, five runs, four of them earned, four walks, and three strikeouts. Ethan Bell followed with two innings, two hits, one run, and two walks without a strikeout. Yoendris Gonzalez worked 2 2/3 innings and allowed one hit, two runs, and a home run while striking out two. JP Wheat gave up three hits and one run in one inning with two strikeouts.

Leadoff hitter Josiah Hartshorn drew a walk and struck out twice. Angel Cepeda also walked. No South Bend hitter recorded an RBI, and the two runners who reached third base, Snell and Hallquist, were both stranded there.

Caden Sorrell Drives In Four In Myrtle Beach Loss

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell 8-4 at Augusta despite four RBI from Caden Sorrell. Myrtle Beach finished with seven hits, one double, one home run, and four walks, struck out 11 times, and left six runners on base.

Myrtle Beach scored first. Corey Nunez doubled with two outs in the first inning, and Sorrell singled him home for a 1-0 lead. Augusta took the lead back with two runs in the first and pushed it to 5-1 with three runs in the fifth on a single, a walk, a run-scoring single, another walk, a double play that brought home a run, and a wild pitch.

The Pelicans got most of it back in the sixth. Alexis Hernandez walked, Nunez singled him to second base, and Sorrell homered to right center field to make it 5-4.

Juan Cabada was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout and a double play ended the threat. Augusta scored once in the sixth and twice in the seventh on a two-out single to close out the 8-4 win.

Kevin Camacho took the loss after four innings with two hits, two runs, one walk, three strikeouts, and a home run. Cristopher Aranguren allowed three hits, four runs, two walks, and a home run over two innings with three strikeouts. John Alkire II worked two innings with two hits, two runs, and three strikeouts.

Nunez went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs. Sorrell went 2-for-4 with the home run and four RBI. Fernando Cruz and Derik Alcantara each had a hit, and Alcantara added a walk.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
2. Cade Townsend: DNP
3. Jaxon Wiggins: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4. Owen Ayers: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K
5. Kane Kepley: 0-for-3, BB, K
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Caden Sorrell: 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 K
8. Kaleb Wing: DNP
9. Myles Bailey: DNP
10. Brooks Caple: DNP
11. James Triantos: 2-for-4, BB
12. Will Sanders: DNP
13. Juan Cabada: 0-for-1, HBP
14. Jostin Florentino: DNP
15. Derniche Valdez: 0-for-2, K
16. Grant Kipp: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, W
17. Jose Escobar: DNP
18. Ariel Armas: DNP
19. Fernando Cruz: 1-for-4, K
20. Brandon Birdsell: DNP

Interested in learning more about the Chicago Cubs' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!

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