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Cubs Minor League Daily: AFL Edition
Oct 12, 2025, 10:24 AM
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SALT RIVER - Apparently, all the Solar Sox needed to grab their first win of the season was to get away from home as they traveled to Salt River to take on the Rafters for their first road game of the season. Once again, this was a game decided by the offense as both teams combined to score 19 runs in what was an exciting game, start to finish.
Fortunately for the Solar Sox, they were the ones who managed to come out on top as they used a pair of big innings to score nine of their 10 runs, including a five-run ninth inning to help them secure the 10-9 victory. That came after scoring four runs in the fifth to grab a brief lead, only to let the Rafters retake the lead, but the bottom line is a win is a win, which is what the Solar Sox desperately needed to have.
This was a game not only decided by the offense, but when it comes to the Cubs' prospects, three of their four position players were in the lineup, allowing fans to see a full display of some lesser-known players. Making his first start of the season was catcher Logan Poteet, who actually made the start at first instead of behind the dish.
Drafted this past summer by the Cubs, Poteet saw minimal action in the Minors this season, but still managed to see time with South Bend before the season ended. The Cubs are hoping the AFL can give him some big-time at-bats and confidence heading into the offseason, but with a 0-4 night, things didn't go as planned for Poteet.
The same can be said for Ed Howard, who continues to struggle at the dish. Sure, Howard did manage to reach base twice by taking two walks, but he also struck out two times and went hitless again as he continues to search for his first hit. On a positive note, Howard's defense has been second to none as he continues to make nearly every play look routine, which isn't an easy thing to do.
When it comes to the offensive highlights among the Cubs prospects, look no further than Owen Ayers, who has gotten off to an incredible start to begin his season. Already with one homer, which he secured in his first start, Ayers had the hot hand yet again, picking up three hits and two RBIs as he continues to see the ball well.
Two of those three hits were doubles, with the first of them coming in his first at-bat in the first inning to set the offense up, while the second one came as part of the five-run ninth inning to bring home the go-ahead run. Ayers also added a third-inning single and had two well-struck lineouts in his other two at-bats as he was seeing the ball well all night.
None of the Cubs' pitching prospects were on the mound in this one, as finding time to get all of them innings is going to be challenging. Expect to see JP Wheat this weekend for the first time, with several others getting at least an inning of work over the weekend.
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