Hot Rods Win First Road Series, Take Down Drive 10-5

Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Bowling Green Hot Rods (5-3) showed relentless offense, beating the Greenville Drive (2-6) by a 10-5 score, clinching their first road series win of the season on Saturday at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

The first run came around to score in the top of the first inning for the Hot Rods against Drive starter Connelly Early. Xavier Isaac worked a two-out walk. In the next at-bat, Cooper Kinney tripled to right, scoring Isaac to make it a 1-0 Hot Rods lead.

Greenville responded in the bottom of the fifth against Bowling Green starter Yoniel Curet. Allan Castro worked a one-out walk and stole second base. Bryan Gonzalez cleared the bases with a two-run blast to center, giving the drive a 2-1 lead.

The Hot Rods evened the score in the top of the sixth against Drive reliver Zach Fogell. Kinney reached base on a two-out walk. Colton Ledbetter drove him in with a double to right, tying the game 2-2.

Bowling Green regained the lead in the top of the seventh with Fogell still on the mound. Hunter Haas led off with a single, and one out later, Chandler Simpson collected a base hit of his own. Isaac stepped up to the plate and blasted a three-run homer off the batters-eye in center, handing the Hot Rods a 5-2 lead. Greenville brought in two-runs in the bottom of the seventh on Gonzalez’s second two-run home run of the night, cutting into Bowling Green’s lead, 5-4.

The teams went back and forth, with Kamren James hitting a solo long ball off Drive reliever Conor Steinbaugh in the top of the eighth. Drew Ehrhard matched it with a solo home run of his own off T.J. Fondtain in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the score to 6-5 in favor of the Hot Rods.

The Hot Rods plated four insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning with Steinbaugh still on the mound. Simpson led off with a single and stole second base. Brayden Taylor singled him home, increasing the lead to 7-5. Two outs later, Ledbetter belted a home run to center, creating a 9-5 Hot Rods advantage. James singled and stole second, while Brock Jones doubled him home to cap off the inning with a 10-5 lead.

Bowling Green shut down the Greenville offense in the bottom of the ninth for a 10-5, series clinching victory.

Fondtain (1-0) tossed 2.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs on three hits, walking one and striking out five in his first win of the season. Fogell (0-1) worked through 1.2 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits, walking two and striking out two in his first loss of the year. Jeff Hakanson (1) earned the first save of the season for Bowling Green, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout.

The Hot Rods and Drive play the finale of a six-game series with a 2:05 CT first pitch. Bowling Green sends out RHP Duncan Davitt (1-0, 1.59) to the mound against Greenville RHP Hayden Mullins (0-0, 0.00).

Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv, listening through the MiLB First Pitch App and BGHotRods.com. Fans can also secure their seats for future home Hot Rods games by calling (270) 901-2121, visiting the Bowling Green Ballpark box office during normal business hours, or going to www.bghotrods.com.

###

Hot Rods Baseball