SOUTH BEND – The South Bend Cubs defeated the Dayton Dragons, 5-2, in the rubber game Thursday night.

The first inning saw South Bend threatening, with after a Donnie Dewees single and steal of second, but Dayton’s Jose Lopez struck out Eloy Jimenez to end the threat.

After a scoreless second, but in the third the Dragon’s had their first scoring threat Reydel Medina advancing to third, on a Luis Gonzalez groundout, but Zack Shields flies out Jimenez, to halt the threat.

The bottom of the fourth would see the Cubs take control of the game, after a Dewees walk and steal of second.

Jimenez again was up against Lopez, except this time Jimenez wins with a double, Dewees went to third, the next batter saw Tyler Alamo hit a sac fly, as Dewees scores, to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

After a Jesse Hodges strikeout, Eddy Martinez drives a double off the wall, as Jimenez scores to make it 2-0 Cubs, but Jose Lopez struck out Daniel Spingola to end the threat and inning.

The fifth inning saw Ryan Kellogg take control of the game, with strikeouts of Kevin Garcia and Mitch Trees. In the bottom of the sixth Jesse Hodges singles, to end Jose Lopez’s night, who pitched 5.2 innings, while giving up two earned runs on five hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts.

The seventh saw Dayton fight back, after a Tanner Rahier single, Shed Long stepped up to the plate, and delivered a two-run homer, to even the game at two, that would be it for Ryan Kellogg, who finished with seven strong innings, while giving up two earned runs on five hits, with five strikeouts.

The eighth inning saw the Cubs flash some leather, with the around-the-horn double play of Sepulveda, Flete, Alamo, to end the mild threat by Dayton.

The Cubs responded in the bottom of the eighth, with a Dewees tripling of Dayton’s new pitcher Braulio Ortiz. Up next Jimenez laces a rocket single up the middle, as Dewees scores to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.

The onslaught continued, after Dayton’s Braulio Ortiz wildness would seal his fate, first with a wild pitch, to allow Jimenez to second, then Ortiz walks Alamo.

With Eddie Martinez at bat, Ortiz again unleashes another wild pitch advancing both Jimenez and Alamo to second and third. Two pitches later, Jimenez scores on a pass ball to make it 4-2 Cubs. Still batting, Martinez rips a double scoring Alamo to make it 5-2 Cubs.

Dayton in the ninth threatened with men on second and third , but Eloy Jimenez made an unbelievable diving catch to end the game.

The Cubs win to go 36-23 overall, while the Dayton drops to 15-45.

Scott Effros picked up his fourth victory of the season to go to (4-0), while Dayton’s Braulio Ortiz took the loss, and goes to (0-1).

The Cubs head to Bowling Green for a series starting Friday at 7:35 p.m.