Drive relinquish five in the sixth to fall 9-5 to Hot Rods

The Bowling Green Hot Rods’ (34-18, 70-48) five-run outburst in the sixth inning downed the Greenville Drive (33-22, 59-62) 9-4 in Tuesday’s series opener at Bowling Green Ballpark, dropping the Drive to 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League South Division.

Though Bowling Green carried the night, the Drive opened up a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of RBI knocks by newcomer Nelly Taylor, called up and activated from Single-A Salem earlier in the day. His first, a sharp line drive single to centerfield, brought in Justin Riemer for the 1-0 lead before Colton Ledbetter’s sac-fly knotted the game in the bottom of the opening frame.

Taylor lifted the Drive to the two-run lead on a fly ball to center field in the third, scoring Miguel Bleis and Zach Ehrhard who both walked earlier in the frame. Taylor finished the night 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI.

Mac Horvath put the Hot Rods ahead 4-3 in the third on a three-run shot to left center field, putting the finishing touches on an inning that started with a pair of walks for righty starter, Jedixson Paez.

Paez ultimately allowed four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts In his five innings of work.

Bleis knotted the game right back up in the fourth on a two-out homer to left center field, his sixth of the season. Bleis and Taylor accounted for six of the Drive’s seven total hits on the night.

The back and forth action finally broke one way in the bottom of the sixth. Piggyback reliever Noah Dean struggled on the mound walking the first four batters he faced and relinquishing a single to put Bowling Green up 6-4. After his fifth walk of the frame made it 7-4, Dean was pulled for Cooper Adams who allowed a sac-fly and a triple boosting the Hot Rods’ lead to 9-4.

Adams ultimately finished the night allowing the lone hit with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Drive return to action on Wednesday, August 28th for game two of a six-game series with the division-leading Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Drive are currently 2.5 games back of first place Bowling Green, as the Hot Rods lead the series, 1-0.