By Mike Monaco

SOUTH BEND – Playing at home for the first time in nine days, South Bend burst out for seven early runs and coasted to a 7-2 victory over Dayton on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field in the series opener.

Following a six-game road trip, the Cubs (26-24 second half, 55-62 overall) claimed the opener against the Dragons (22-28 second half, 61-59 overall) behind four runs in the first and three in the second.

“We’re just having fun, staying loose, like we talked about a couple weeks ago, just coming in, doing our jobs and getting things done,” South Bend second baseman David Bote said. “We’ve been playing good baseball.”

The Cubs began the night 3.5 games back of West Michigan for second place in the Midwest League’s Eastern Division.

“Toward the end of the season, we’re in control of our own destiny,” said Bote, who’s collected five multi-hit performances in his last six games. “We just keep playing well and we keep doing our things, then the chips will fall where they go. But if we keep playing the way we have, we’ll see what happens at the end.”

South Bend starter Erick Leal tossed five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and no walks to go along with four strikeouts.

Cubs leadoff man Jeffrey Baez (3-for-5, two runs), left fielder Ian Happ (2-for-3, two RBI, one double, one sacrifice fly), Bote (2-for-4, one single, one home run), first baseman Matt Rose (2-for-4, two RBI, one double) and center fielder Rashad Crawford (2-for-4, one double) each recorded multi-hit evenings.

Baez began the bottom of the first with an infield single and stole second. After advancing to third on a sacrifice fly, Baez scored on an RBI single by Happ, pushing South Bend to a 1-0 lead. The Cubs then loaded the bases, and designated hitter Charcer Burks lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Happ and widen the advantage to 2-0. Rose later golfed a two-run double into the left-field corner to stretch the lead to 4-0.

In the second, Happ skied a sacrifice fly to left to score Crawford, who led off with a single and stole second. Bote then teed off on a two-run shot, his fifth of the season, to left field to break open a 7-0 lead.

“I was just looking for a fastball middle, staying right through the middle of it,” Bote said. “He threw me a changeup first pitch down. I was sitting on the fastball. He just threw it right in the middle, and I stayed through it and put a good swing on it.”

The Dragons jumped on the board, 7-1, in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by right fielder Aristides Aquino off of Cubs reliever Dillon Maples.

Dayton loaded the bases in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch by Cubs reliever Daniel Lewis, pulling within five, 7-2.

South Bend and Dayton clash in the middle game Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field. Cubs right-hander Trevor Clifton (4.45 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Dragons righty Tyler Mahle (2.45 ERA).