CUBS AT CAPTAINS

May 17, 11 a.m. Classic Park Cubs 17-20; Captains 18-21 Cubs — Brendon Little (2-2, 5.09 ERA); Captains — Francisco Perez (1-3, 5.46) WFUN-AM 970 ESPN

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a runner at second base to start every at-bat in extra innings.

The concept is, teams will have an easier time pushing across runs in extra innings so games don’t run extra long.

At least in the three games that have gone to extra innings at Classic Park this season, the concept has been found wanting.

The second game of a doubleheader against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on May 2 went 11 innings before the Captains fell, 11-7. The game time was 3 hours, 26 minutes.

On May 5, against the Beloit (Wis.) Snappers, it took 10 innings and 3 hours, 34 minutes to finalize a 9-8 win for the Snappers.

The opener of the twin bill against the Cubs was sailing along smoothly, time-wise, through six innings.

South Bend notched single runs in the top of the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Captains pulled even in the bottom of the sixth innings on RBI singles by Nolan Jones and Jose Vicente.

The sides both went down in order in the seventh inning to force extra innings.

After a scoreless eighth inning, South Bend pushed across a run in the top of the ninth to move ahead, 3-2. The Captains got an RBI single from Jorma Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth to forge a 3-3 tie.

In the top of the 10th, the Cubs took a 4-3 lead when a run scored on a throwing error by Lake County pitcher Skylar Arias. Again, the Captains extended the drama by getting a run in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI double by Austen Wade.

After a scoreless 11th inning, the Cubs got two runs in he top of the 12th. Designated runner Rafael Narea moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch by Lake County reliever Manuel Alvarez. The insurance run scored on a passed ball charged to Captains catcher Jonathan Laureano.

The Captains did not seriously threaten in the bottom of the 12th.

In the five extra innings, the teams combined for 45 at-bats and four pitching changes.