By Mike Monaco

BELOIT, Wisc. – South Bend left fielder Ian Happ cracked a grand slam as part of a five-RBI night, as the Cubs took down Beloit, 7-1, on Thursday night in the rubber game at Pohlman Field.

With Happ’s shot in the fifth, South Bend (23-23 second half, 52-61 overall) boosted its lead to five runs and never looked back in downing the Snappers (19-26 second half, 45-70 overall) to claim the finale.

Happ added a sacrifice fly, and Cubs second baseman David Bote collected two hits and a walk.

South Bend starter Tommy Thorpe worked 5.2 innings, allowing just one run. The lefty gave up four hits, walked three and struck out five. In five starts since coming off the disabled list in July, Thorpe has only surrendered five earned runs in 28.2 frames (1.57 ERA).

Cubs right-hander Dillon Maples followed and struck out four of the first five batters he faced. Fellow righty Daniel Lewis handled the ninth.

Bote reached on an infield single to begin the top of the third, and Bote scored from second on an error by Beloit shortstop Mikey White to make it 1-0 South Bend. Happ then knocked a sacrifice fly to left field to plate center fielder Rashad Crawford and extend the lead to 2-0.

Snappers third baseman Jose Brizuela. sliced a triple to right field to start the bottom of the fourth, and Brizuela scored two batters later on an RBI groundout by first baseman Gabriel Santana, pulling Beloit within one, 2-1.

The Cubs loaded the bases thanks to three walks in the fifth, and Happ clubbed the opposite-field grand slam to push South Bend up 6-1. The shot was Happ’s second with South Bend, sixth as a pro and the Cubs’ second grand slam of the 2015 campaign.

South Bend leadoff man Jeffrey Baez supplied a sacrifice fly in the ninth to score Bote and make it 7-1.

South Bend begins a three-game series with Wisconsin on Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin. Timber Rattlers lefty Nathan Kirby (1.50 ERA) gets the ball.