Hot Rods Clinches First Road Series, Triumphs 10-5 Against Drive
Bowling Green, Kentucky
In an exhilarating display of relentless attack, the Bowling Green Hot Rods secured a 10-5 victory against the Greenville Drive on Saturday, clinching their first road series win of the season in Fluor Field located in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Hot Rods instigated the onslaught in the top of the first inning led by Connelly Early. Xavier Issac seized a two-out walk followed by Cooper Kinney who notched a triumphant triple to the right that ensured Issac’s run, elevating the Hot Rods lead to 1-0.
Drive’s Counter-Attack
The Drive did not let their guard down, as they retaliated in the bottom of the fifth against the Hot Rods’ leading man, Yoniel Curet. It was Allan Castro who orchestrated a one-out walk and facilitated a stolen second base. Bryan Gonzalez’s tremendous two-run blast to the center gave the Drive an advantage, leading 2-1.
In the sixth tally, the Hot Rods equaled the Drive at a nail-biting 2-2. Kinney secured a base through a two-out walk and Colton Ledbetter drove him in with a double right to arrest the game at a tie.
A Seesaw of the Lead
More dramatic action was forthcoming in the top of the seventh inning against Drive’s committed reliever, Zach Fogell. Hot Rods’ Hunter Haas ignited the fight with a single, and his momentum was carried forward by Chandler Simpson with another base hit.
In a bid to increase their lead, Isaac launched a commanding three-run homer which sent a powerful message to Fogell. The Hot Rods were commanding the field with a finer balance, moving ahead with 5-2.
The Drive’s Gonzalez struck back with his second two-run homer of the night, in the bottom of the seventh, cutting into the Hot Rods’ lead and reducing the gap to 5-4.
Hot Rods Further Consolidate The Lead
The momentum stayed with Bowling Green, as the teams engaged in a back and forth struggle. The top of the eighth witnessed Kamren James delivering a solo home run off Drive reliever Conor Steinbaugh, while the bottom belonging to Drew Ehrhard replicated the same feat off T.J. Fondtain. The game stood at 6-5 favoring the Hot Rods.
Brayden Taylor and Ledbetter played sublime baseball in the ninth inning, scoring successive runs and securing a solid 10-5 lead.
Bowling Green roared in the last inning, disabling Greenville from returning by securing a crucial 10-5 victory, thus clinching the series. Fondtain emerged victorious, while Fogell was handed his first loss of the year. Jeff Hakanson sealed the final save of the season, boosting Bowling Green’s morale and positioning them as a team to reckon with this year.
