Hot Rods Start Second Half Strong, Beat Spartanburgers 12-5

Bowling Green, Kentucky – In a thrilling back-and-forth contest, the Bowling Green Hot Rods (35-30) used two, five-run innings to take a 12-5 win over the Hub City Spartanburgers (31-35) on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Bowling Green jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Hub City starter Kolton Curtis. Adrian Santana reached on a leadoff single and Émilien Pitre crushed a two-run shot to put the Hot Rods ahead 2-0. Two hitters later, Noah Myers walked and moved to second on a Ryan Spikes fielder’s choice. Daniel Vellojin sliced an RBI double down the first base side to score Myers. Hunter Haas drove in Spikes on a sacrifice fly and Raudelis Martinez plated in Vellojin with an RBI single to cap the five-run frame.

Hub City answered with one run in the top of the second off Hot Rods starter Hayden Snelsire. Casey Cook and Gleider Figuereo recorded back-to-back singles and Julian Brock walked to load the bases. Luis Marquez singled home Cook to cut the Hub City deficit to 5-1.

The Spartanburgers added two more runs in the sixth with Snelsire still on the mound. Cook doubled, and Gleider Figuereo blasted a two-run homer, bringing Hub City within two runs, 5-3.

Hub City erased the deficit in the seventh against Hot Rod reliever Junior Williams. Keith Jones II smashed a leadoff homer. Dylan Dreiling and Anthony Gutierrez followed with back-to-back singles. Dreiling and Gutierrez executed a double steal and Dreiling scored on a Vellojin throwing error to third base to tie the game at 5-5.

The Hot Rods responded with a five-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. Mac Horvath reached on a hit-by-pitch and moved to third on a Myers single. Spikes drove in both runners with a two-run single off reliever D.J. McCarty. Vellojin scored Spikes on an RBI single to extend Bowling Green’s lead to 8-5. Haas reached on a walk and Martinez ripped a two-run double off Victor Simeon to push the Hot Rods lead to 10-5.

Bowling Green added two runs in the eighth. Horvath walloped a two-run homer off Simeon to give the Hot Rods a 12-5 lead.

William (1-1) earned his first win of the season, going 1.2 innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. McCarty (0-3) took the loss, hurling 2.2 frames in relief while allowing five runs on five hits while striking out two.

The Hot Rods and Spartanburgers play the penultimate game of a weather-shortened five-game series tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. CT. The Hot Rods will send RHP TJ Nichols (6-2, 3.70) to the hill while Hub City’s starter is to be determined.

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