James Drives in Four in 19-10 Loss to Grasshoppers

Bowling Green, Kentucky – Kamren James blasted a two-run homer and tied his career-high with four RBIs, but the Bowling Green Bootleggers (37-25, 68-55) were out-hit by the Greensboro Grasshoppers (30-32, 66-60) 16-12 in a 19-10 loss on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Greensboro scored their first runs of the game in the top of the first against Bowling Green starter Ben Peoples. Tres Gonzalez walked, Termarr Johnson singled, and Jack Brannigan worked a walk to load the bases. Luke Brown singled, scoring Gonzalez to make it 1-0. Brendon Dixon knocked a base hit to center, plating Brown to increase the lead, 2-0. A wild pitch from Peoples scored Hudson Head from third, putting the Grasshoppers up 3-0.

The Grasshoppers scored four more runs in the top of the second off Bootleggers reliever Duncan Davitt, capped off with a two-run homer by Brown.

Bowling Green responded with a run in the bottom of the second against Greensboro starter Po-Yu Chen. Dominic Keegan led off with a single and moved up to third on a base hit from Willy Vasquez. James plated Keegan on a sacrifice fly to right, making it a 7-1 game.

After Greensboro scored three more runs in the top of the third, Carson Williams rocketed an RBI triple in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit, 10-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, Vasquez led off with a single and came around to score on a two-run blast by James. Jeffry Parra singled and Chandler Simpson doubled to put runners on first and third. A passed ball from the catcher Shawn Ross allowed Parra to score and cut the deficit to 10-5.

The Grasshoppers scored a run in the top of the fifth, but the Hot Rods answered back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on two wild pitches from Greensboro reliever Darvin Garcia.

After Greensboro opened it up in the top of the seventh with five runs against Bowling Green reliever Aneudy Cortorreal, the Bootleggers scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning off Grasshoppers reliever Jorge Ramos. Brock Jones notched an RBI triple and James logged an RBI groundout to make it 16-9.

Greensboro scored three runs off Bowling Green reliever Sandy Gaston in the top of the eighth, while Parra doubled in a run in the bottom of the ninth to finalize the game at 19-10.

Garcia (1-0) earned the win, letting up two runs on a hit, four walks, and two strikeouts over 1.2 innings. Peoples (4-6) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over 1.0 frame. Ramos (1) collected the save, letting up three runs on three hits, three walks, and four strikeouts over 3.1 innings.

Bowling Green and Greensboro play game four of a six-game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 6:35 PM CT. LHP Ian Seymour (0-0, 2.45) starts for the Hot Rods, while the Grasshoppers starter is TBD.

Fans can catch all the action by listening through the MiLB First Pitch App, tuning into Talk 104.1 FM and 930 AM WKCT, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live.

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