Four Homers, One Tough Result: Drive Fall to Hot Rods

Early home runs from Henry Godbout and Mason White gave Greenville a quick jolt, but Bowling Green answered with a series of timely extra-base hits and held off the Drive late for a 6-4 win Wednesday night at Fluor Field at the West End.

The loss dropped Greenville to 3-8 on the season and 0-2 in its six-game series against the Hot Rods, who improved to 8-3.

Greenville wasted little time jumping in front against Bowling Green starter Garrett Gainey. After Justin Gonzales grounded out to begin the bottom of the first, Godbout launched a solo home run to left on a 1-1 pitch for his first homer of the season. Two batters later, White followed with another solo shot, this one to center field, to put the Drive ahead 2-0 after one inning.

Bowling Green chipped away in the second. Connor Hujsak opened the inning with a double to right-center and came home when Narciso Polanco lined a single into right-center. Polanco then stole second, but Luis Cohen limited the damage there by retiring the next three hitters.

The Drive’s lead disappeared in the fourth, when Bowling Green strung together its biggest inning of the night. Nathan Flewelling led off with a solo homer to right to tie the game at 2-all. Hujsak followed with his second double of the evening, and Polanco drove him home with a triple to center. Tom Poole then brought Polanco in with a groundout, giving the Hot Rods a 4-2 advantage.

Greenville got one run back in the bottom half when Adonys Guzman turned on a 1-0 pitch and sent it out to right for his first home run of the year, trimming the deficit to 4-3.

Bowling Green answered again in the fifth. Ryan McCoy drew a leadoff walk against reliever Alex Bouchard, stole second and scored on Emilien Pitre’s single to right, stretching the Hot Rods’ lead to 5-3.

That run proved significant as Greenville repeatedly came up empty in its remaining chances. The Drive put a runner in scoring position in the fifth when Gonzales singled and advanced to second on Polanco’s second throwing error of the night, but Godbout and Gerardo Rodriguez were retired to end the threat. In the sixth, White singled and Guzman followed with a base hit, giving Greenville two on with one out, but Natanael Yuten hit into a fielder's choice and Yophery Rodriguez lined out to left.

Bouchard settled the game down after the fifth, striking out five over 3 1/3 innings and working around three walks to keep Bowling Green within reach. He stranded two runners in the seventh and worked into the eighth before turning the ball over to Calvin Bickerstaff.

Greenville finally pulled within one again in the eighth when Jack Winnay belted a two-out solo homer to left off Jacob Kisting, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

But Bowling Green immediately regained breathing room in the ninth. McCoy drove a 2-0 pitch from Bickerstaff to right-center for a solo homer, restoring a two-run cushion at 6-4.

The Drive had one last opening in the bottom of the ninth. After Yuten struck out swinging, he reached first on a wild pitch and moved to second when Rodriguez grounded out. Yuten advanced to third on Antonio Anderson’s flyout, bringing the tying run to the plate, but Gonzales lined out to second baseman Pitre to end the game.

Bowling Green finished with nine hits, including two doubles from Hujsak and a triple from Polanco. Polanco went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases, while Flewelling and McCoy each homered. The Hot Rods went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position but made their chances count early.

Greenville got all four of its runs via the long ball. Godbout, White, Guzman and Winnay each homered, accounting for the Drive’s entire scoring output. White and Guzman both finished with two hits, but Greenville went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

Gainey earned the win for Bowling Green after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings. Kisting picked up the save-like finish, surrendering one run over four innings while striking out two.

Cohen took the loss for Greenville after allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out three and did not issue a walk, but Bowling Green’s fourth-inning surge turned the game.

The series continues Thursday at Fluor Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 pm.