Bowling Green Outlasts Greenville in 14-8 Slugfest

Greenville, South Carolina – The Bowling Green Hot Rods (27-11) won their eighth consecutive game and set their season-high in runs, including two Tom Poole homers, in a 14-8 win over the Greenville Drive (14-24) on Saturday at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Hot Rods plated the first run in the top of the first against Drive starter Devin Futrell. Adrian Santana led off with a single and advanced to third on a Nathan Flewelling base hit. Emilien Pitre singled him home, giving the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead.

Bowling Green added another two runs in the top of the second against Futrell. Ryan McCoy was hit by a pitch, and Poole blasted a two-run homer to right-center to make it a 3-0 Bowling Green lead.

Greenville drove in two runs in the bottom of the second against Bowling Green starter Garrett Gainey. With one out, Ronny Hernandez doubled, and Antonio Anderson tripled him home. Natanael Yuten brought in Anderson on a groundout, making it a 3-2 Bowling Green advantage.

Both teams scored runs in the third inning. Bowling Green benefited from a Narciso Polanco RBI single, while Greenville used a two-run homer from Jack Winnay to tie the game at 4-4.

The Drive took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the fourth against Gainey. Anderson singled and Yuten walked to lead off the inning. Justin Gonzales singled to center, scoring Anderson, giving the Drive a 5-4 lead. Yoeilin Cespedes singled home Yuten, and Winnay doubled home Gonzales, increasing the Drive lead to 7-4.

The Hot Rods scavenged five runs in the top of the fifth against Drive reliever Jay Allmer. The inning was headlined by a Poole’s second homer of the night and a Theo Gillen triple, catapulting the Hot Rods ahead, 8-7.

The lead expanded for Bowling Green in the top of the eighth against Drive reliever Luis Cohen. Pitre slugged his second homer of the year, a solo shot to right-center, upping the Hot Rods lead to 9-7.

Five more insurance runs came around for the Hot Rods in the top of the ninth against Cohen. Santana and Flewelling brought in the first runs of the inning on groundouts. Connor Husjak drove in a run on a base hit, and Polanco tripled him home, bringing the score to 14-7.

The Greenville offense brought in their final run in the bottom of the ninth against Bowling Green reliever Cade Citelli. Winnay launched a solo homer to center, making it 14-8. Citelli put away the rest of the Greenville side, ending the game in a 14-8 Hot Rods win.

Gainey (3-1) received the win, allowing seven runs on 12 hits, walking one and striking out seven. Allmer (0-2) was given the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) on three hits while walking three and striking out two.

The Hot Rods and Drive play the finale of a six-game series on Sunday with a 2:05 PM CT first pitch at Fluor Field. Bowling Green will send out RHP Jack Kartsonas (2-0, 3.27) against Greenville RHP Alex Bouchard (0-1, 4.05).

Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv, listening through the MiLB First Pitch App and BGHotRods.com. Fans can also secure their seats for future home Hot Rods games by calling (270) 901-2121, visiting the Bowling Green Ballpark box office during normal business hours, or going to www.bghotrods.com.

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Hot Rods Baseball