Hot Rods Win High-A East Championship In 6-3 Game-Five Win

Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Bowling Green Hot Rods (3-2) took a 6-3 win in game five over the Greensboro Grasshoppers (2-3) to win the High-A East Championship at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Tuesday night. Fans can purchase their commemorative 2021 High-A East Championship t-shirt by visiting https://hotrods.milbstore.com/products/2021-high-a-east-championship-t-shirt-preorder.

The Hot Rods plated the first run in the bottom of the first against Greensboro starter Michael Burrows. With two outs, Grant Witherspoon launched a solo homer to left, giving Bowling Green a 1-0 lead. The homer was Witherspoon’s third of the postseason, tying Jordan Qsar for the franchise record.

Greensboro took their first lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring two runs, taking a 2-1 lead. Blake Sabol pushed in the first run with a bases loaded walk. The second run scored on a ground ball from Matt Gorski, scoring Lolo Sanchez to put Greensboro in the lead 2-1.

Bowling Green answered in the bottom half with Grasshoppers reliever Bear Bellomy on the mound. Diego Infante led off with a single, Witherspoon was hit by a pitch, and Curtis Mead reached on an error to load the bases. Qsar singled to center, bringing home Infante and Witherspoon. Erik Ostberg doubled down the first base line, scoring Mead, then Roberto Alvarez singled to plate Qsar, giving the Hot Rods a 6-2 lead.

Both teams were held scoreless until the top of the ninth inning with Zack Trageton on the mound. Andres Alvarez knocked in a run on a base-hit, scoring Sabol and bringing the score to 6-3. In the next at-bat, Trageton got Liover Peguero to pop out on a fly ball, securing the 2021 High-A East Championship for the Hot Rods.

Jose Lopez pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while walking one and striking out four in a no-decision. Addison Moss didn’t record an out but surrendered two runs on one hit while walking two. Trey Cumbie (1-0) picked up the win, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out three. Trageton pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four.

Notes: Witherspoon tied Qsar for the most homers in a postseason in Hot Rods history with three… Qsar set the record in game four… Cumbie picked up his first postseason win… The Hot Rods are the inaugural champions of the High-A East League… This is the Hot Rods second championship… The first came in the Midwest League in 2018… The Hot Rods return to Bowling Green Ballpark on April 8, 2022 to begin their defense of the High-A East title.

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