Final Score: Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, South Bend Cubs 1

The South Bend Cubs dropped the series finale to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, closing out a difficult road trip with a 9–1 loss. The defeat drops the Cubs to 1–13 on the road this season and gives the Kernels five wins in the six-game set.

South Bend struck first with a Carter Trice RBI single in the top of the first. Trice also stood out defensively, making key plays in center field during the third and fourth innings to momentarily keep the game close. Trice and Reginald Preciado each recorded two hits in the game.

Starter Kenten Egbert gave up back-to-back singles before being pulled for Joe Nahas in the fifth. That inning unraveled quickly, as the Kernels sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs on four singles to take control. Cedar Rapids later added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, finishing with 11 hits to South Bend’s 9.

Reliever Luis Rujano provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, throwing 1.2 innings and striking out three.

The Cubs had a chance to rally in the eighth with the bases loaded but couldn’t push across another run.

South Bend returns home to Four Winds Field next week for a six-game homestand against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, hoping to reverse their road struggles and get back on track