NASHVILLE, TN -- Chris Valaika, Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson each slugged home runs and the Iowa Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 12-3 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Monday afternoon at historic Greer Stadium. Pitcher Dallas Beeler won his triple-A debut for the I-Cubs, who now head to New Orleans for a four-game series before returning home Saturday night.

The I-Cubs pounded out 14 hits in taking a 5-0 lead in the third inning and then blowing the game open with seven runs in the ninth. Iowa (16-13) remained in first place in the American North with the win.

Valaika crushed his third homer of the season -- a three-run shot in the first inning which followed a single by Arismendy Alcantara and a walk to Lars Anderson.

Vitters added a two-run homer in the third inning to give Iowa a 5-0 lead. His fourth homer of the season -- and second in as many days -- followed a two-out double by Valaika.

Jackson bashed a solo home run to lead off the top of the ninth. It was his second homer of the season. It triggered an offensive explosion as the next five batters - Luis Flores, Logan Watkins, Johnathan Mota, Alcantara and Anderson -- also got hits as the I-Cubs sent 11 men to the plate. Christian Villanueva capped the scoring with an RBI double.

The seven-run ninth is the I-Cubs' highest-scoring inning of the season.

After Iowa took a 5-0 lead, the Sounds pulled within 5-1 with one run on three hits in the bottom of the fourth. Nashville scored twice in the bottom of the eighth on three hits and a sacrifice fly to cut the gap to 5-3.

Beeler went 6.0 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run. He struck out three and walked none. Of 79 pitches, 51 were for strikes.

Beeler joined the I-Cubs from extended spring training Monday. The Chicago Cubs drafted Beeler in the 41st round of the 2010 draft out of Oral Roberts University. He was 4-2 with a 3.13 ERA in nine starts at double-A Tennessee last season before suffering a torn tendon in his right middle finger on May 18. That injury cost him the rest of the season. He did return to pitch for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League and was 4-1 with a 2.49 ERA in six starts there. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster last November and he made four appearances in spring training before an elbow strain ended his camp and kept him from starting the season with Iowa.

Relievers Marcus Hatley and Blake Parker closed out the game for the I-Cubs. Parker notched his fifth save of the season.

The Cubs and Zephyrs start a four-game series Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on AM 940, and streamed live at iowacubs.com, with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 6:40 p.m.