SOUTH BEND – Early offense by Lansing sent the Lugnuts to a 3-2 win over the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field Friday night.

The Cubs grabbed a first inning lead when Donnie Dewees singled and went to second on a passed ball. Dewees scored on Eloy Jimenez’s RBI single.

South Bend starting pitchers in the second half had a 0.89 earned run average through eight games in the second half. Casey Bloomquist last night gave up a couple of earned runs in the top of the second which gave Lansing a 2-1 lead.

Lansing added the ever important third run in the third inning when Connor Panas singled in Jake Thomas to give the Lugnuts a 3-1 lead.

Bloomquist (5-4) ended the night after five inning allowing three earned runs.

Cubs closed to within 3-2 with a seventh inning RBI single by Carlos Sepulveda who tallied Bryant Flete who led off the frame with a double.

South Bend had a chance to tie the game later in the seventh when the Cubs had runners on second and third with one out when Eloy Jimenez struck out followed by a Tyler Alamo ground out.

The Cubs bullpen (Kyle Twomey 3.0, Scott Effross 1.0) tossed four scoreless innings pushing the South Bend relievers second half total to 24 and two-thirds innings allowing only one unearned run.

South Bend will pitch Kyle Miller (3-1, 1.40) in game two of the series against Lansing tonight at 7:35 p.m.