By Mike Monaco

SOUTH BEND – A shutout in the series opener and an early lead in game two spiraled downward into a series loss for South Bend, as Great Lakes stormed to a 13-0 win in the rubber game Thursday night at Four Winds Field.

The Cubs (14-14 second half, 43-52 overall) took Tuesday’s lidlifter 5-0 and led 2-0 after three innings Wednesday, but the Loons (11-17 second half, 49-47 overall) outscored South Bend 18-0 from there to win the series.

Great Lakes outhit South Bend, 18-4, in the finale and put away the Cubs with an eight-run seventh inning.

Cubs starter Michael Wagner worked 5.2 innings and allowed four runs, walking one and fanning three. The righty departed after surrendering an RBI single that pushed Great Lakes ahead 3-0 with two outs in the top of the sixth.

Great Lakes turned double plays on South Bend in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

The Loons scored in the top of the first inning, as leadoff man Mike Ahmed smacked a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Jimmy Allen.

Great Lakes made it 2-0 in the second on an infield single by left fielder Federico Celli and an error by Cubs shortstop Gleyber Torres.

In the top of the sixth, third baseman Matt Beaty clubbed a two-out double. Right fielder Alex Santana followed with an RBI single to left field to extend the margin to 3-0. Santana then scored on a wall-ball single by first baseman Justin Chigbogu off of Cubs reliever Tyler Ihrig.

Great Lakes notched four consecutive singles to start the seventh, and Allen’s knock off the third-base bag scored designated hitter Nick Dean and made it 5-0. Center fielder Alex Verdugo’s single scored Ahmed. Then, catcher Julian Leon bounced into a run-scoring fielder’s choice. Leon later scored on an error to lengthen the lead to 8-0. The ninth batter of the inning, Celli, slipped a run-scoring single through the left side. South Bend reliever Sam Wilson walked in a run to give the Loons double digits. Great Lakes went up 11-0 on an error after a forceout. Allen’s RBI single, again, handed the Loons an eight-run inning.

Great Lakes didn’t let up in the eighth, as Beaty’s RBI single made it 13-0.

Cubs infielder David Bote tossed a scoreless ninth — his fourth scoreless relief inning this season.

Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, threw out first pitches before the game. The Centre P.C. hosted a “Night at the Ballpark” in support of the Kelly Cares Foundation.

South Bend starts a nine-game road trip Friday when it opens a three-game set against West Michigan in Comstock Park, Michigan, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Cubs left-hander Tommy Thorpe (4.38 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Whitecaps righty A.J. Ladwig (3.91 ERA).