SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Interstat) — Cedar Rapids scored nine runs in the ninth inning Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, to defeat South Bend 15-2 at Four Winds Field before an announced crowd of 8,270.

The Kernels grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fifth on Yasser Mercedes’ RBI double and Emmanuel Rodriguez’s run-scoring single, but South Bend tied it in the bottom half on Jose Escobar’s RBI single. Cedar Rapids moved ahead for good in the sixth, scoring four runs. Jose Salas hit a three-run homer and Rodriguez added a bases-loaded walk. In the ninth, Salas doubled, Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded, Eduardo Tait singled, JP Smith II hit a grand slam and Jayson Bass homered.

Michael Ross earned the victory, improving to 5-6. Eli Jerzembeck took the loss, falling to 6-4. Cedar Rapids finished with 12 hits, while South Bend had four. Angel Cepeda was 0 for 5 for the Cubs. Cedar Rapids improved to 40-64; South Bend dropped to 62-41. The game lasted 3:16.