SOUTH BEND – In a scene that looked more like a November across town, it was opening day nonetheless at Four Winds Field. The Midwest League champion West Michigan Whitecaps strapped on their helmets and took the field against the Irish, er, the South Bend Cubs in the first game of the baseball season and rode an 8-0 lead to an eventual 9-4 victory Thursday night.

West Michigan wasted no time heating up in the on-again, off-again snow flurries. An RBI double by Brett Pirtie and an RBI triple from Shane Zeile helped West Michigan jump up quickly in the first inning, followed by a sacrifice fly by Will Allen.

Pirtie again did some damage in the second, doubling home two more runs and a pair of errors in the third inning the Cubs allowed Steven Fuentes’ triple to bring home three runs. The hot chocolate and ‘room temperature’ beers had barely absorbed and it was already 8-0 Whitecaps.

Cubs starting pitcher Preston Morrison lasted only one more inning, working four innings and allowing eight hits, two walks and the eight runs, yet only three of those runs were earned as South Bend committed three errors in the four innings.

South Bend chipped away, with Eddy Martinez gathering the first RBI of the season on a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth, plating Eloy Jimenez. PJ Higgins and Jimenez each added RBI singles for the Cubs, which did outhit West Michigan 12-11 in the contest.

Higgins, Jimenez, Martinez, Andrew Ely and Donnie Dewees each had two hits for the Cubs (0-1), Ely adding a walk and run scored in his second season with the club.

Spenser Watkins started the game for West Michigan (1-0), but couldn’t get out of the fifth and failed to earn the win. Watkins worked 4.2 innings, giving up four hits, two runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Jonathan Maciel got the win, working 1.1 innings, allowing four hits and a run.

Kyle Twomey pitched four relief innings for the Cubs, giving up just three hits and striking out seven.

Announced attendance for the season opener was 5,010, which had Midwest League president Richard Nussbaum throw out the first pitch and legendary Cubs voice Wayne Messmer sing the national anthem.

Game two of the season between South Bend and West Michigan is Friday night, a 7:35 p.m. first pitch.