Schnell Blasts Three Homers, Hot Rods Sweep Doubleheader

Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Bowling Green Hot Rods (10-5, 41-35) swept a doubleheader against the Asheville Tourists (3-12, 29-47) taking game one 10-5, and game two, 7-1, on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

In game one, The Hot Rods began the scoring in the bottom of the first against Tourists starter Michael Knorr. Dru Baker walked and scored on an RBI double from Carson Williams. After Williams moved up to third on a passed ball, he was plated on a sacrifice fly from Bob Seymour to make it a 2-0 ballgame.

Bowling Green scored again in the bottom of the third off Asheville reliever Brayan De Paula. Seymour walked, while Willy Vasquez and Dominic Keegan singled to load the bases. Nick Schnell drove in Seymour on a sacrifice fly to
left, increasing the lead to 3-0. After Jalen Battles walked to load the bases, Blake Robertson was hit by a pitch that let Vasquez come home. A wild pitch plated Keegan from third, and Robertson later scored on a fielder’s choice off
the bat of Brock Jones that put the Hot Rods up 6-0.

Tommy Sacco hit a two-run homer off Bowling Green reliever Keyshawn Askew in the top of the fourth, but the Hot Rods answered back in the bottom half of the inning against Tourists reliever Walker Brockhouse. Seymour walked and Vasquez singled to put runners on first and second. Nick Schnell blasted a three-run homer over the center field wall to increase
the lead to 9-2.

Schnell hit another homer in the bottom of the sixth off Asheville reliever Ronny Garcia, and Aneudy Cortorreal held the Tourists to one run in the top of the seventh to finalize a 10-5 victory for the Hot Rods.

Askew (7-5) earned the win, letting up two runs on two hits and two strikeouts over 2.0 frames. Knorr (1-5) took the loss, lasting 0.2 innings while allowing two runs on two hits, a walk, and a strikeout.

In game two, the Tourists scored first in the top of the second against Hot Rods starter Sean Harney. Sacco walked, stole second, and moved up to third on a ground ball. Rolando Espinosa smacked a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Sacco to score and make it a 1-0 ballgame.

The Hot Rods got on the board in the bottom of the third off Tourists starter Nic Swanson. Piper led-off with a single and scored on a two-run homer by Schnell that put Bowling Green up 2-1. Baker smacked a solo shot over the
right field wall to make it a 3-1 ballgame. In the bottom of the third, Williams singled and Vasquez homered to move the score to 5-1

Bowling Green plated more runs off Swanson in the bottom of the fourth. Robertson led-off with a single and came around to score on a two-run blast by Wiliams to make it 7-1. Hot Rods reliever Sandy Gaston tossed a scoreless ninth to carry Bowling Green to a 7-1 victory.

Cade Halemanu (3-1) collected the win, striking out one over 1.0 inning. Swanson (0-1) took the loss, letting up seven runs on eight hits, a walk, and five strikeouts over 4.0 frames.

The Hot Rods enjoy the next four days off for the All-Star break before returning to action on Friday for a three-game road series against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv or listening through the MiLB First Pitch App, tuning into Talk 104.1 FM and 930 AM WKCT, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live.

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Hot Rods Baseball