Vimael Machin collected three hits in a 5-4 Cubs win Tuesday evening. (Photo by Emma Reese)

SOUTH BEND – With fireworks sparkling throughout the skies around Four Winds Field on Independence Day, the South Bend Cubs and Great Lakes Loons put together a thrilling game that went to the 12th before the Cubs came out on top 5-4 in Game 1 of the three-game series.

Tuesday night’s game took four hours and 30 minutes to complete not finishing until the early hours of the morning on July 5. With the win, the Cubs continue to improve their second half record (4-9) after turning in a less than impressive first 10 games after the All-Star break.

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cubs got things going early with a first inning run thanks to back-to-back singles by Roberto Caro and Vimael Machin to set up Kevonte Mitchell’s sacrifice fly to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, the Loons benefitted from a South Bend throwing error on Gavin Lux’ sacrifice fly to left. With Jared Walker running home, Kevonte Mitchell threw the ball to third base to keep the runner at second from advancing, but no one was covering the base and the ball sailed into the netting in front of the visitors dugout to allow Brayan Morales to score from second.

The Cubs tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning after Michael Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to score Austin Upshaw, who reached third base as a result of a crafty slide around the glove of Cristian Santana.

Coming back in the very next inning, the Loons were given a bases loaded situation on a hit by pitch and two walks from Cubs starting pitcher, Bryan Hudson, but he worked out of the one-out jam with a strikeout and a pop out in foul territory to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the fifth.

With the game tied 2-2 in the next half inning, Alberto Mineo delivered in the clutch with a RBI-double to score Luis Ayala from second giving the Cubs a one run lead.

Marc Huberman, who has 27 strikeouts and a 1.45 ERA, came in to the game in relief of Hudson in the top of the sixth, but gave up a double and a home run that allowed Great Lakes to take the lead and give Hudson his ninth no-decision of the year.

With the Cubs trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning and everyone in the ballpark chanting “Let’s Go Cubs,” Ayala hit a leadoff triple to put the tying run only 90′ away. Caro then walked representing the winning run.

Machin followed with a single to score Ayala and tie the game 4-4 while Caro motored his way around the bases to put the winning run on third with no outs. However, the Cubs’ next three hitters flew out center, struck out, and flew out right to end the inning and send the game into extras.

Wyatt Short came on to pitch for the Cubs in the top of the tenth and induced two groundouts and a strikeout, one of his most dominant appearances in recent memory, to give the Cubs another chance on offense with the game still tied.

From there things went scoreless until the bottom of the 12th when Austin Upshaw led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. Andruw Monasterio then executed a bunt that was fielded and thrown away by Loons pitcher, Ryan Mosely trying to nab the runner at third. Upshaw then got up from his slide and ran home to score the winning run.