Bowling Green Splits Doubleheader With Extra-Innings Win

Greenville, South Carolina – Chandler Murphy tossed 5.0 hitless innings in the second game of the doubleheader, helping the Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-8, 50-38) split a doubleheader with a 5-0 loss in game one and a 5-4 win in game two against the Greenville Drive (13-10, 39-50) on Saturday at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

Greenville jumped ahead in the bottom of the second inning against Bowling Green starter TJ Fondtain. Jhostynxon Garcia led off with a single and was brought home to score on an Allan Castro triple. Castro scored on a sacrifice fly from Luis Ravelo, giving the Drive a 2-0 lead.

The Drive added to their score in the bottom of the third with Fondtain still on the mound. Mikey Romer led off the inning with a solo homer, extending the Greenville lead to 3-0.

Runs kept coming around to score in the top of the fourth inning for the Drive against Hot Rods reliever Adam Boucher. Garcia led off the inning with a solo home run. Castro kept the momentum rolling with a walk and was plated on a Ravelo RBI single, making it 5-0 Greenville. Bowling Green failed to score the rest of the way, ending a 5-0 Greenville victory.

Cooper Adams (1-4) received his first win of the season, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out two. Fondtain (3-2) was given his second loss of the year, surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out three.

In the second game, Bowling Green started the scoring in the top of the fifth inning against Greenville reliever Jeremy Wu-Yelland. Ryan Spikes worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on a Gregory Barrios single. Both runners advanced on wild pitch, putting runners at second and third. Brayden Taylor walked, and Cooper Kinney doubled, scoring Spikes and Barrios. Taylor came in to score on a wild pitch, making it a 3-0 Hot Rods lead.

The Drive responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth against Hot Rods reliever Jackson Lancaster. With two outs in the inning, Miguel Bleis singled, Coffey doubled, and Garcia tripled, plating two runs to make it a 3-2 Bowling Green lead.

Hunter Haas added an insurance run for the Hot Rods with a solo homer in the top of the seventh, but the Drive came charging back. Ravelo singled with one out and Eduardo Lopez doubled to put runners at second and third. Enderso Lira singled in both runners, tying the game 4-4 to force extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Taylor started as the extra-innings runner at second. With one out, Colton Ledbetter singled, scoring Taylor to take a 5-4 lead. The Drive went scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, ending in a 5-4 Hot Rods win.

Jack Hartman (2-1) received his second win of the season, tossing 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three. Adam Smith (3-6) was given the loss, surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits with five strikeouts.

The Hot Rods and Drive play the finale of a three-game series on Sunday with a 2:05 PM CT first pitch at Fluor Field. Bowling Green will send out RHP Yoniel Curet (4-7, 3.69) against Greenville RHP David Sandlin (0-2, 4.60).

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