South Bend Cubs stay red-hot with seventh straight win over Fort Wayne

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The South Bend Cubs stayed red-hot Wednesday afternoon, winning their seventh straight game with a 13-5 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Four Winds Field.

The win also marked South Bend’s second straight victory to open the series against Fort Wayne, keeping the Cubs firmly in the Midwest League playoff conversation.

One of the biggest storylines came from one of the newest faces in the clubhouse. Josiah Hartshorn, the Chicago Cubs’ No. 8 prospect, continued his loud arrival in South Bend. The 19-year-old drove in five runs Wednesday and launched his first High-A home run in just his second game with the team.

Hartshorn has already made an immediate impact, totaling seven RBIs in his first two games as a South Bend Cub. He also earned player of the game honors in both contests.

The Cubs wasted little time getting started offensively. South Bend scored two runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, setting the tone in front of a packed Education Day crowd of about 7,000 kids.

Right-hander Kevin Valdez got the start for South Bend and turned in another strong outing, allowing just one run over 4.1 innings.

The Cubs’ offense did the rest.

South Bend tagged Fort Wayne’s starter for seven runs in just 2.2 innings. By the fourth inning, the Cubs had built a 9-1 lead before adding two more runs against the TinCaps bullpen. Hartshorn then delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, sending his first High-A home run out of the park to stretch South Bend’s lead to 13-1.

Hartshorn was not the only Cub producing at the plate. Ty Southisene singled three times, stole two bases and scored four runs.

After the game, Southisene said seeing Hartshorn succeed so quickly in South Bend was no surprise.

“He’s awesome,” Southisene said. “Me and him spent a lot of time in Myrtle Beach together, so I’m glad to have him here. It’s awesome to see all these guys. They work very hard; our coaches work very hard to make everybody better. It’s no surprise it’s clicking; we just hope to keep it rolling.”

Rolling is exactly what South Bend is doing. 

The Cubs have now won seven straight games and will look to keep the streak alive Thursday night when they face the TinCaps again at Four Winds Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.