McGee's Quality Start, Big Third Inning Pace 5-1 Win

Easton McGee threw 6.0 innings of one-run ball and the Hot Rods plated four two-out runs in the third inning to lead the Bowling Green to a 5-1 win, clinching a series victory over the Lansing Lugnuts. The Hot Rods are off on Monday before a three-game series in Cedar Rapids against the Kernels, which will begin with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday night.

McGee was aided by his defense early on, receiving a 6-4-3 double play to end the first, as well as a double play off a strikeout and caught stealing to end the second.
Offensively, the Hot Rods got off to a fast start in the first, with Ford Proctor lining the second pitch from Lansing starter Juan De Paula off the left field wall for a leadoff double. Wander Franco moved Proctor to third with a fly ball to center before Connor Hollis lifted a sacrifice fly to right, giving Bowling Green a 1-0 lead.
The score stayed the same into the bottom of the third, when Proctor lined another double, this time off the right-field wall, to begin the inning. With one out, Connor Hollis was hit by a pitch, putting two men on. With two outs, Chris Betts doubled to right-center, scoring both runs. Betts came home when Roberto Alvarez reached on a throwing error to extend the inning. Jake Palomaki capped off the rally with an RBI single to right, giving the Hot Rods a 5-0 advantage.
Lansing mounted a threat in the fifth against McGee. Following a leadoff walk to Jake Brodt, McGee surrendered three straight singles with one out, with the final hit being an RBI single from D.J. Neal that scored Brodt, making it 5-1. McGee then buckled down and induced a flyout and fielder's choice to preserve the four-run cushion.
The rest of the contest was left up to the Hot Rods' pitching staff. Christofer Ogando relieved McGee in the seventh, starting a procession of scoreless innings from the Bowling Green bullpen. Nick Sprengel and Chris Muller also put up scoreless frames to wrap up the 5-1 victory, securing three wins in the four-game set against Lansing.
McGee (3-0) worked a season-high 6.0 innings in earning the win, allowing a run on six hits, while walking one and striking out two. Ogando worked around a hit and a walk in a scoreless seventh. Sprengel threw a perfect eighth inning with a strikeout and Muller finished the contest by striking out two and walking one in a hitless ninth inning.
Notes: Proctor extended his hitting streak to nine games…Proctor collected a season high three hits…He had multiple extra-base hits for the first time this year…Franco saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped…Alvarez had a five-game hitting streak snapped…Palomaki racked up his third multi-hit game of the season… McGee's 6.0 innings are a season-high and match a career best (now done five times)…Bowling Green left four runners on base, the second-lowest total this season (had three LOB on April 14 at Ft. Wayne)…The Hot Rods pitching staff threw quality starts in all three victories against Lansing and have thrown four quality starts in the past five games…The Hot Rods have now won five consecutive series and are 5-1-1 in series this season…Bowling Green is 7-4 this year at home…The Hot Rods improved to 5-0 this year while wearing their orange jerseys…Bowling Green is 79-74 all-time against Lansing, 44-32 at Bowling Green Ballpark …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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