Bootleggers Swept by Fort Wayne in 8-3 Loss

The Bowling Green Bootleggers couldn't climb out of an early seven-run hole and fell 8-3 to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, suffering a three-game sweep to finish their first-half home schedule. Bowling Green falls to 38-29 before heading to Lansing to begin their final series of the first half on Friday night with the first pitch at 6:05 p.m. CDT.

Fort Wayne took the lead in the top of the first inning against Bowling Green starter Easton McGee. Xavier Edwards slapped the first pitch of the game down the left-field line for a double. Tucupita Marcano and Blake Hunt followed with fly balls that advanced Edwards, with Hunt's fly out bringing home Edwards with the first run of the game.
In the third, the bottom fell out for the Bootleggers as Fort Wayne exploded for six runs off McGee. The first five batters of the inning all reached and eventually scored and Luis Roman capped off the rally with a three-run homer that put the TinCaps up 7-0.
Chris Muller came out of the bullpen in the fourth and allowed an unearned run, but Bowling Green scored twice in the bottom of the inning as Michael Smith and Seaver Whalen came through with two-out RBI singles.
The Bootleggers chipped away further as Ford Proctor doubled home a run in the fifth, cutting Fort Wayne's lead to 8-3. However, despite putting at least one runner on base in every inning but one, Bowling Green drew no closer, leaving 14 runners on base as they fell for a third-straight game, suffering their second series sweep of the season.
McGee (4-2) went just 3.0 innings in taking his second loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out two. Muller also went 3.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on a walk, while allowing no hits and striking out five. Nick Sprengel threw 3.0 scoreless innings to finish the game, allowing two hits.
Notes: Proctor recorded his 15^th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit game…Kaleo Johnson 15^th multi-hit game…Smith picked up his tenth multi-hit effort and his third three-hit day… Smith also recorded his seventh outfield assist of the season and the 16^th for Bowling Green…The assist was the second in three games for BG…McGee's 3.0 innings was his shortest start of the season…His seven runs allowed were a season-high…Sprengel tied a season-high with his 3.0 innings of work (also 4/9 at Lake County)…Bowling Green was swept at home for the first time since April 27-29, 2017 vs. Lansing…The three-straight losses tie the longest losing streak of the season for Bowling Green, having done so five times…The 11 hits by BG are their most since collecting 13 on June 1 at Lansing…Bowling Green is 6-3 all-time as the Bootleggers, 2-3 this season…The Hot Rods are 12-6-2 in series…BG fell to 30-7 when outhitting their opponents…The Hot Rods are 6-11 against left-handed starters…BG is 22-13 at home…The Hot Rods will travel to Lansing for a three-game series that ends the first half, beginning Friday night with the first pitch at 6:05 p.m. CDT…LHP Cristopher Sanchez (1-1, 3.32) will start for Bowling Green, while Lansing's starter is still to be announced…Fans can catch all the action with Shawn Murnin on Willie 107.9 FM, as well as, with their smart phones via the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn Radio app.
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