SOUTH BEND – Dylan Cease and Matt Swarmer combined to one-hit the Great Lakes Loons while picking up 11 strikeouts in Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory.

The Cubs sent top-pitching prospect Dylan Cease to the hill to face Great Lakes in the final contest of a 3-game series at Four Winds Field on Wednesday night. Throwing a career-high six shutout innings, Cease no-hit the Loons offense while striking out seven Great Lakes hitters.

“I just wanted to be aggressive,” said Cease. “I thought they had a lot of big swingers so I wanted to attach them in specific ways, but for the most part it was the same aggressive attach.”

On the night, the Cubs best pitcher frequently stumped the Loons offense with a 12-6 curveball that often followed his electric fastball.

Neither team registered a hit until Cubs first baseman Jhonny Pereda got South Bend into the hit column with a single in the bottom of the third inning. Hot hitting second baseman, Yeiler Peguero extended his hitting streak to eight games by adding a single of his own in the bottom of the fourth but was stranded at second base to end the inning.

Pereda gained his second hit of the night on a double to right-centerfield in the fifth inning and then registered his third hit of the night in the seventh inning to load the bases for Vimael Machin who hit a 3-RBI double to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead heading into the eighth. Since the Cubs did not score until the seventh inning, Cease received a no-decision despite his stellar performance.

Matt Swarmer, who came in to relieve Cease’s efforts on the mound in the seventh inning, earned the win for the Cubs with 3.0 innings of relief. He allowed the lone Loons hit with one out in his first inning of relief but also managed to strikeout four hitters in the process.

South Bend continues the home stand Thursday night against the Dayton Dragons who are in first place in the Eastern Division of the Midwest League. Last year’s Northwest League Pitcher of the Year, Manuel Rondon is scheduled to take the mound for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.