Hot Rods Late Rally Falls Short in 11-9 Loss

Asheville, North Carolina– Mason Auer, Heriberto Hernandez, and Ronny Simon all homered as part of a 15-hit night, but a ninth-inning rally fell short in the Bowling Green Hot Rods (3-2, 44-26) 11-9 loss to the Asheville Tourists (3-2, 29-41) on Wednesday night at McCormick Field in Asheville, North Carolina. The Hot Rods and Tourists continue their series on Thursday with a 5:35 PM CT first pitch.

Asheville took an early 1-0 lead against BG opener Conor Dryer, but the Hot Rods got even in the top of the second against Tourists starter Rhett Kouba. Hernandez led off with a single and went to second when Pedro Martinez reached on an error. Tanner Murray hit into a force play that left runners at the corners, and Murray stole second base. The Tourists threw to second in an attempt to get Murray, but Hernandez broke from third and stole home to tie the game while Murray was safe at second.

Hernandez struck again in the third, blasting a three-run homer to give BG their first lead of the day against Kouba at 4-1. Asheville scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead, but Simon responded in the sixth. He hit a three-run shot of his own to dead center field, putting the Hot Rods back in front with a 7-5 edge.

The Tourists rallied in the seventh against BG reliever Kyle Whitten. With two outs they plated two runs to tie the game, loading the bases for Marty Costes who hit a go-ahead grand slam to right. The blast gave Asheville an 11-7 lead. Simon drove in another run in the eighth to cut the Tourists lead to 11-8 and Mason Auer hit a solo homer in the ninth, but the Hot Rods stranded two runners, including the tying run at first, and fell to the Tourists 11-9.

Dryer allowed one run on one hit with a walk in a no-decision after 1.0 inning of work. Logan Workman allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Franklin Dacosta threw 2.1 innings of relief, giving up two runs on two hits with two walks and two punch-outs, blowing a save. Whitten (1-1) allowed six runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout over his 0.2 innings of work while taking the loss and a blown save. Sean Mullen threw 1.1 scoreless frames with a walk and a strikeout.

Notes: Hernandez stole home to tie the game in the second inning… It’s the first time a Hot Rods baserunner stole home since Jordan Qsar on July 1, 2019 in Lansing, Michigan… Wednesday was the fourth time this road trip that BG had 10+ hits in a game… Infante had his 16th multi-hit game of the year… Hernandez had his 13th… He also had his 10th multi-RBI game of the season… Murray had his second-straight multi-hit game… It was his 15th of the season… Berglund logged his third multi-hit effort of the season… Martinez had his third multi-hit game of the season in his first game back from being on the IL… Simon’s four-RBI night was his 11th multi-RBI game of the year… It was the first time he had four in one game… BG’s eight walks were the most issued by the pitching staff in one game this season… The Hot Rods and Tourists will play the third game of a six-game series on Thursday… First pitch is set for 5:35 PM CT… Bowling Green will send LH Patrick Wicklander (1-4, 9.75) to the mound against Asheville RH Chayce McDermott (6-1, 4.88)… Fans can listen to the game on Talk 104.1 FM and 930 AM WKCT… Fans can listen via the MiLB First Pitch app on Android and IOS, or go to the Hot Rods website at www.bghotrods.com

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