By Mike Monaco

EASTLAKE, Ohio — South Bend dropped Lake County, 6-4, and secured a season-best five-game winning streak Saturday night at Classic Park.

The Cubs (3-0 second half, 32-38) scored in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings to dispatch the Captains (0-3 second half, 36-35).

South Bend starter Jake Stinnett worked a career-high 6.2 innings, building on the six shutout innings he spun in his last outing. The right-hander scattered seven hits and allowed four earned runs. Stinnett fanned four and only issued one walk.

Eight of South Bend’s nine starters recorded at least one hit, and center fielder Charcer Burks (2-for-4) and shortstop Gleyber Torres (2-for-5) each tallied multi-hit evenings.

Cubs right-handed reliever Brad Markey stranded two runners in the seventh and worked scoreless eighth and ninth frames to button up the save.

South Bend has won five consecutive games for the first time since the Silver Hawks closed the 2014 regular season with five victories in a row.

South Bend third baseman Jason Vosler ripped a second-inning solo home run to lift the Cubs in front, 1-0. The second-year infielder from Northeastern hit just one home run in his first 266 professional at-bats. But Vosler, who also homered in the series opener against the Captains, then hit two long balls in his next nine at-bats.

In the top of the third, South Bend designated hitter Yasiel Balaguert punched an RBI single up the middle to score left fielder Rashad Crawford, who reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a groundout.

The Captains cracked the score column in the bottom of the third. No. 9 hitter Bobby Ison coaxed a two-out walk and later scored on an RBI base knock by leadoff man Greg Allen.

South Bend snatched the run back in the fourth. With first baseman Jesse Hodges at first and two outs, Crawford clubbed an RBI triple into the right-field corner to push South Bend ahead 3-1. Crawford then scored from third on a pitch that skittered away from home plate.

In the sixth, Burks laced an RBI single back where it came from to score Hodges and widen the gap to 5-1. Torres followed suit with an RBI hit of his own to plate Burks.

Lake County first baseman Bobby Bradley clubbed an opposite-field, three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to trim the margin to 6-4.
The Cubs had been sitting on their second four-game winning streak of the season.

Before Saturday’s game, South Bend added right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples to the active roster from the Short-Season Eugene Emeralds. Chicago drafted Maples in the 14th round in the 2011 draft.

South Bend and Lake County conclude their four-game series Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio. Cubs right-hander Jeremy Null (2.33 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Captains lefty Justus Sheffield (4.72 ERA).