SOUTH BEND — On a cold, blustery night at Four Winds Field, the South Bend offense sizzled past Lake County, 16-3, with 20 hits Wednesday night.

The Cubs (6-8) scored in each of the first five innings, including three in the first, five in the fourth and four in the fifth. South Bend sent nine to the plate in the first inning, 10 in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Every Cubs starter had a hit by the fourth inning, and all 11 position players tallied hits. The 16 runs are the most scored by a Midwest League team this season.

“It was a great game,” South Bend manager Jimmy Gonzalez said. “It’s always fun to watch a game like that when right from the beginning we come out on top and just keep it going throughout the game.”

Trey Martin (2-for-6, two runs), Chesny Young (3-for-3, four runs), Cael Brockmeyer (3-for-4, two RBI), Jesse Hodges (2-for-6, two runs and three RBI), Gleyber Torres (2-for-5, two RBI), Charcer Burks (2-for-3, two walks) and Rashad Crawford (2-for-5, two RBI) highlighted the offensive onslaught.

“They have been swinging the bats well and it’s good to see them all put it together all at the same time,” Gonzalez said.

South Bend starting pitcher Jeremy Null hardly needed any run support, as the righty notched another six scoreless frames. Null retired the first 10 batters to begin the night.

“Null came out today and did what he’s been doing and that’s always great to see,” Gonzalez said of the 6-foot-7 starter. “His command of the zone is the biggest thing. But having a big guy with downward plane and good movement on his fastball, that’s key right there. He does that well. He dominates the zone and he does it to perfection.”

Cubs starting pitchers have now gone 26.2 innings without allowing an earned run. In their last seven starts, South Bend starters have a 0.72 ERA (three earned runs in 37.2 stanzas).

“The starters have been fabulous,” Gonzalez said. “They’ve gone out there and done their job. There’s been some times where we haven’t held the lead, but they’ve done what we’ve asked of them.”

For the 12th time in 14 games, South Bend crossed the plate first. The first four batters reached in the home half of the first inning, as Brockmeyer worked a bases-loaded walk, Hodges’ RBI groundout reeled in Young and a Lake County error allowed Gioskar Amaya to jog home with two outs. The Cubs, who had scored just three first-inning runs through the first 13 games, led 3-0 after one.

South Bend designated hitter Yasiel Balaguert collected his first hit of the season with a clean knock to right-center field in the first inning. Balaguert was activated from the disabled list Monday and went hitless in his first two games.

Brockmeyer, the reigning Midwest League Player of the Week, cracked an RBI double down the left-field line in the second to push the margin to 4-0.

South Bend kept piling on the offense in the fourth against reliever Jordan Carter. Martin started the frame with a double, Young followed with a single and Amaya’s infield single and subsequent throwing error plated both. Three more hits and a fourth Lake County error pushed the lead to 10-0.

Then in the fifth, Hodges sliced a two-run double to center field to make the lead an even dozen. The Canadian third baseman now has 11 RBI in his last seven games. Hodges spent little time on the basepaths, scoring on Torres’ RBI single to center. Torres himself then came around on Crawford’s single, making the lead 14-0.

Justin Marra rocked a two-run home run in the eighth inning, his second long ball in as many days.

Lake County (6-8) grabbed two unearned runs in the seventh and a run in the ninth.

South Bend and Lake County finish off their three-game series Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field. Cubs right-hander Erick Leal (1-0, 2.70 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Captains lefty Justus Sheffield (1-0, 0.00 ERA).