By Mike Monaco

SOUTH BEND – South Bend scored in bunches in the middle innings and downed Bowling Green, 6-2, on Sunday night at Four Winds Field in front of a third consecutive sellout crowd.

The Cubs (20-24) plated two in the fourth and four in the fifth en route to their second victory in game three of the four-game series. Shortstop Gleyber Torres (2-for-4), first baseman Yasiel Balaguert (2-for-4) and second baseman Andrew Ely (1-for-4) each drove in two.

“They definitely came through in some clutch situations,” South Bend manager Jimmy Gonzalez said.

South Bend starting pitcher Jeremy Null spun six innings of two-run ball with five hits and four strikeouts. Null, who began the night with the fifth-best ERA in the Midwest League at 1.73, retired nine in a row until the start of the fifth inning, when he issued a leadoff free pass to catcher Nick Ciuffo. Null has only walked three in eight starts this season.

After three scoreless frames to begin the night, South Bend struck in the fourth. Designated hitter Cael Brockmeyer clocked a one-out single up the middle and moved to third on a double from Balaguert. Ely then hooked a two-run double into the right-field corner to make it 2-0 Cubs.

“I think we were taking advantages of opportunities when we had them,” Ely said. “We’d get a couple guys on base and come up with the big hit. And that’s something we haven’t been able to do over the past 10 games or so. So it was nice to be able to put it all together.”

Bowling Green countered with a run on an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth, slicing the deficit in half, 2-1.

In the home half of the fifth, however, Bowling Green committed four errors, handing South Bend runners at second and third with one out. With a full count, Torres rapped a two-run single right back where it came from to extend the margin to 4-1. Three batters later, Balaguert supplied a two-run single of his own, widening the gap to 6-1.

Bowling Green slugger Casey Gillaspie swatted a solo home run in the top of the sixth, his league-leading eighth long ball of the season.

South Bend reliever David Garner worked the seventh and eighth in scoreless fashion, and James Farris tossed a shutout ninth.

Torres returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games due to hamstring tightness.

“I don’t want to say you expect a hit every time, but I expect for him to give everything he’s got,” Gonzalez said of the 18-year old shortstop. “And that’s what he does.”

South Bend and Bowling Green conclude their four-game series Monday at 2:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field. Cubs right-hander Erick Leal (3-2, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Hot Rods righty Hyrum Formo (3-1, 4.26 ERA).