Goeddel Nearly Hits For the Cycle in Hot Rods Win
Bowling Green, KY - The Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-4) claimed a series win and are in position for a sweep of the Fort Wayne TinCaps (9-8) after a 12-6 victory at Bowling Green Ballpark on Tuesday. The Hot Rods scored in every inning with Tommy Coyle tying a single-game Hot Rod record with four runs scored. Not to be outdone, Tyler Goeddel had a three-hit performance and fell a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
In a game that featured 18 total runs, the Hot Rods struck first. Goeddel was hit by a pitch from TinCaps RHP Erik Cabrera with one out in the first inning. Two batters later, Luke Maile ripped a double down the left field line to score Goeddel from first base and get the Hot Rods on the scoreboard.
Fort Wayne was quick to respond with a pair of runs in the second inning. Luis Tejada brought in Dane Phillips on a fielder's choice for the tying run. The TinCaps jumped ahead with an RBI single by Brian Adams to take a 2-1 lead. However, Coyle answered for Bowling Green as his game-tying solo home run over the right-center field wall evened the score.
Bowling Green took the lead for good in the third frame. Goeddel and Andrew Toles led off the inning with singles while Maile walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Justin O'Conner came through with a sacrifice fly that plated Goeddel and pushed the Hot Rods to a 3-2 lead.
Over the next few innings, Bowling Green piled on the runs against the TinCaps. A three-run rally in the fourth was produced on a Ryan Dunn single and a Goeddel triple. Two more came in during the bottom of the fifth to give the Hot Rods an 8-3 advantage at the time. In the sixth, Goeddel doubled and later scored thanks to a double from O'Conner.
The Hot Rods and TinCaps traded runs in the seventh and eighth innings to finish the scoring. Coyle scored his fourth run of the contest during that stretch, marking the ninth time in team history that a Hot Rod has scored four times in a game. Also in the late innings, Goeddel had a chance to hit a home run to complete the cycle, but his pop up landed in the glove of second baseman Diego Goris.
Bowling Green RHP Jeff Ames picked up the victory. Ames, who was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on Monday, finished five innings with just three runs allowed. Cabrera suffered the loss for Fort Wayne after failing to escape a jam in the fourth inning. The TinCap starter allowed six earned runs in just over three frames of work.
The series will close on Wednesday at 7:05 PM with Bowling Green aiming for a sweep of Fort Wayne at Bowling Green Ballpark. Hot Rods LHP Blake Snell (1-1, 2.92) will pitch against TinCaps RHP Walker Weickel (0-0, 3.52) in the series finale. Radio coverage starts at 6:35 PM with Hank Fuerst, Chris Kleinhans-Schulz, and Stu Foster on the Forever Communications Pregame Show. The broadcast can be found on BGHotRods.com, 1340WBGN.com, and 1340 WBGN-AM.
Wednesday's match-up continues a nine-game Hot Rods homestand, the longest of the 2013 season. IGA is sponsoring "All-You-Can-Eat" Wednesday. For an $8 upgrade on your box seat ticket, fans can enjoy a 90-minute all-you-can-eat buffet in the Home Run Grill following the contest. Visit BGHotRods.com to order tickets to Wednesday evening's game and to check out the full promotional schedule.
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