By Mike Monaco

BELOIT, Wisc. – South Bend starter Trevor Clifton shined with six shutout innings, and Cubs first baseman Gioskar Amaya and third baseman Matt Rose supplied runs in South Bend’s 2-1 win over Beloit on Wednesday night at Pohlman Field.

The Cubs (22-23 second half, 51-61 overall) held the Snappers (19-25 second half, 45-69 overall) to just three hits through the first seven innings and evened the series at a game apiece.

Clifton sparkled over his six frames, allowing just three hits and two walks to go along with seven strikeouts.

South Bend reliever Michael Wagner retired the first five batters he faced before surrendering a solo home run in the eighth. The righty nabbed the first two outs in the ninth but put runners at first and second. South Bend manager Jimmy Gonzalez turned to submariner Corbin Hoffner for the final out, and the righty came through with a groundball to shortstop.

Cubs right-fielder Jeffrey Baez (2-for-4, one run, one double, one triple) and second baseman David Bote (2-for-3, one double, one single, one walk) each collected multi-hit outings.

Baez began the top of the first with a double down the left-field line. Three batters later, Amaya blooped an RBI triple to right field to plate Baez and hand South Bend a 1-0 lead.

Rose stretched the lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth when he shot a solo home run to right-center field, his first long ball since joining South Bend from Short-Season Eugene over the weekend.

Beloit center fielder Justin Higley lashed a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Snappers then placed runners at first and second, but Wagner induced a groundout back to himself.

South Bend and Beloit conclude their three-game series Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wisconsin. Cubs left-hander Tommy Thorpe (3.48 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Snappers righty Daniel Gossett (4.94 ERA).