Hot Rods Fall to Loons 8-3 in Series Finale

Midland, MI- The Great Lakes Loons avoided a sweep at the hands of the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday afternoon as the Hot Rods fell to the Loons 8-3 at Dow Diamond in the series finale. The Hot Rods are 9-8 with a league-wide off day on Sunday.

The Loons took an early lead, plating four runs in the second inning against Hot Rods starter Shane McClanahan. With two outs, Miguel Vargas and Dillon Paulson walked, scoring when Luke Heyer doubled to right to make it a 2-0 game. Chris Roller walked to put runners at first and second, scoring when Jacob Amaya tripled to center to make it 4-0. Bryce Brown fell on the play attempting to catch the ball in center but recovered to throw out Amaya attempting to score on the play to end the inning.
The Hot Rods cut the deficit to one run against Loons starter Stephen Kolek between the fourth and fifth innings. Kaleo Johnson delivered a two-out RBI single in the fourth to narrow the margin to three runs, but they came within a run in the fifth. Brown worked a one-out walk and went to third when Wander Franco singled to right. Franco stole second and Brown scored when Ford Proctor singled to left, making it a 4-2 game. Connor Hollis grounded out to short in the next at-bat, but Franco scored on the play to bring the Hot Rods within a run with a 4-3 score.
Great Lakes poured it on in the seventh, scoring four unearned runs against Hot Rods reliever Justin Marsden. With one out, Amaya reached on an error by Franco at short while Hunter Feduccia singled to right to move Amaya to third. With two outs, Niko Hulsizer singled to score Amaya to make it a 5-3 game. James Outman triple to right, clearing the bases and giving the Loons a 7-3 advantage. They tacked on the final run as Vargas sliced an RBI single to left, plating Outman to give Great Lakes an 8-3 edge.
McClanahan (1-2) went five innings in a loss, allowing four runs. On two hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Marsden allowed four unearned runs over two innings with five hits, a walk, and four strikeouts. Miguel Lara tossed one inning while allowing a walk with two strikeouts out of the bullpen.
Notes: Franco and Johnson both extended personal hit streaks to six games… Hollis' five-game hit streak was snapped on Saturday… Palomaki has a four-game hit streak… Proctor has a three-game streak… After allowing runs in each of his first three appearances, Lara hasn't allowed a run in two-straight outings… McClanahan's five innings of work ties a career high for the third time… He issued the most walks of his career with four while the four runs scored against him are also a new career-mark…Bowling Green is 2-5 in their blue jerseys… Saturday is still the only day of the week the Hot Rods haven't hit a home run on… They're also 0-3 on Saturday… Brown had his first outfield assist of the season… Every outfielder on the roster has at least one this season… Easter Sunday will serve as a league-wide off day… The Hot Rods return to action on Monday against the Fort Wayne TinCaps with a 6:05 PM CDT first pitch.
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