By MIKE MONACO

LANSING, Mich. — For the second day in a row, South Bend mounted late offense to pull within two but could not take down Lansing, falling to the Lugnuts, 7-3, on Tuesday morning at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The Cubs (18-21) fell behind 4-0 in the third but maneuvered their way back to 5-3 at the seventh-inning stretch. Lansing (22-17), though, countered with a pair of runs in the home half and held on to take the second game in the four-game set. The Cubs have now dropped six of their last seven games, including four consecutive meetings with the Lugnuts, who claimed the final two games of last week’s four-game trip to Four Winds Field in South Bend.

Cubs third baseman Jesse Hodges (3-for-4, one triple, one RBI) and shortstop Jason Vosler (2-for-4, one run) provided the bulk of the South Bend offense.

South Bend starting pitcher Erick Leal and Lansing starter Conner Greene each retired the first five batters they faced.

The Lugnuts broke open the scoring in the bottom of the third inning. Catcher Michael De La Cruz led off the frame with a double and, after left fielder Chris Carlson’s infield single, leadoff man J.D. Davis drove an RBI single to right field to plate De La Cruz. Shortstop Richard Urena then launched a two-run triple to push the Lansing margin to 3-0. Leal later balked, and Urena jogged home to make it 4-0.

The Cubs cracked the run column in the fifth. Designated hitter Justin Marra worked a two-out walk, becoming just the second South Bend baserunner. Hodges then ripped an RBI triple — his first three-bagger of the season — to right field to cut it to 4-1.

Lansing grabbed the run back in the sixth on an RBI double by second baseman Justin Atkinson.

After stranding a runner at third in the fifth and again in the sixth, the Cubs capitalized on a bases-loaded opportunity in the seventh. With two outs, left fielder Charcer Burks connected on a two-run single to left-center field, pulling the Cubs within two, 5-3. Burks extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Lansing raised the lead to 6-3 in the home half of the seventh, as first baseman Ryan McBroom floated a single and right fielder Josh Almonte followed with one of his own. McBroom scored from third on a wild pitch by South Bend reliever Jordan Minch. Leal worked 6.2 innings and surrendered nine hits, six runs (all earned) and two walks, while fanning four. The margin swelled to 7-3 later in the inning on an RBI base knock by Lugnuts third baseman Gunnar Heidt.

Greene allowed just two hits and one run with one walk and six punchouts in six innings for the Lugnuts. In his last start Thursday against the Cubs, Greene gave up five hits and four earned runs in just one full inning.

South Bend and Lansing meet for the third leg of their four-game set Wednesday at 10:35 a.m. ET at Cooley Law School Stadium. Cubs right-hander Zach Hedges (2-2, 3.48 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Lugnuts righty Sean Reid-Foley (0-1, 4.87 ERA).