The Bowling Green Hot Rods were held to three hits in the regular-season finale Monday and lost 3-2 to the South Bend Cubs in South Bend, Ind.

The Hot Rods finished the regular season 81-58 overall and 42-26 in the second half.

The two teams will begin a three-game series in the Midwest League Eastern Division quarterfinals Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. CDT at Four Winds Field before returning to Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday for the second and (if necessary) third games of the series.

The Hot Rods took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Cubs starter Zach Mort. Ford Proctor led off with a double off the right-field wall and went to third when Grant Witherspoon reached on an error to put runners at the corners. Witherspoon stole second, but an errant throw in an attempt to catch him stealing moved him to third and allowed Proctor to score. Jonathan Aranda lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Witherspoon from third and putting Bowling Green ahead 2-0.

The Cubs got a two-run homer in the bottom of the third off Bowling Green starter Zack Trageton to tie the game. Levi Jordan led off the frame with a single and scored when Clayton Daniel homered. Brennan Davis hit a solo homer in the seventh inning with one out to left, giving the Cubs a 3-2 edge.

Trageton ended up with a no-decision after allowing two runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

On Wednesday, BG will send right-hander Caleb Sampen to the mound while the Cubs have yet to name a Game 1 starter.