Peoples Heaves Career-High 6.0 Innings, Hot Rods Quiet Braves 6-2
Bowling Green, Kentucky– Ben Peoples punched out seven batters over a career-high 6.0 innings, and Brock Jones went 2-for-3 with a solo homer to power the Bowling Green Hot Rods (22-23) to a 6-2 victory over the Rome Braves (23-26) on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. Bowling Green began
Bowling Green, Kentucky– Ben Peoples punched out seven batters over a career-high 6.0 innings, and Brock Jones went 2-for-3 with a solo homer to power the Bowling Green Hot Rods (22-23) to a 6-2 victory over the Rome Braves (23-26) on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Bowling Green began the scoring with three runs in the top of the first against Rome starter Ian Mejia. Dru Baker singled and came around to score on an RBI double from Jones that put the Hot Rods up 1-0. Carson Williams lifted a triple to left center that plated Jones to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Bob Seymour grounded out to first, scoring Williams to increase the Hot Rods lead, 3-0.
Rome answered back in the top of the second with a run off Peoples. Keshawn Ogans ripped a lead-off double to left center and scored on an RBI single from Bryson Horne that cut the lead to 3-1. Brock Jones launched a solo homer in the bottom of the third inning, putting the Hot Rods back up by three, 4-1.
The Hot Rods snatched two insurance runs off Braves reliever Benjamin Dum in the bottom of the eighth. Blake Robertson, Jalen Battles, and Baker all singled to load the bases. Jones launched an RBI sacrifice fly to center, plating Robertson to make it a 5-1 ballgame. Battles scored from third on a wild pitch from Dum, increasing the lead to 6-1. Hot Rods reliever Haden Erbe let up a solo homer to Horne in the top of the ninth but collected the final two outs that carried Bowling Green to a 6-2 win.
Peoples (2-3) earned the win, striking out seven and allowing one run on five hits and a walk over 6.0 frames. Mejia (3-4) took the loss, going 7.0 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits and five strikeouts.
The Hot Rods and the Braves play the penultimate game of a six game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 6:35 PM CT. Bowling Green is set to start RHP Roel Garcia (2-2, 3.56), while Rome is rolling out RHP Rolddy Munoz (3-1, 2.94).
Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv or 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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Hot Rods Baseball