Williams Drives in Five Runs on Four Hits, Hot Rods Down Drive 14-3

Bowling Green, Kentucky – Carson Williams finished a triple shy of the cycle during his 4-for-5 night at the plate, lifting the Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-12, 45-42) to a 14-3 win over the Greenville Drive (13-13, 49-43) on Wednesday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green plated the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning against Greenville starter Angel Bastardo. Brock Jones drilled a two-out double to right to put himself in scoring position. Williams brought him home with a single, making it a 1-0 Hot Rods lead. After a walk from Willy Vasquez, one out later, Dru Baker singled in Williams and Vasquez, increasing Bowling Green’s lead to 3-0.

The Drive responded in the top of the second against Hot Rods starter JJ Goss. With two outs, Eduardo Lopez worked a walk. Max Ferguson singled to right-center, plating Lopez, cutting into Bowling Green’s lead, 3-1.

One run came around to score for the Hot Rods in the bottom of the second with Bastardo still on the mound. Jalen Battles led off with a base hit and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Shane Sasaki, lengthening the lead to 4-1.

The Hot Rods added two runs in the bottom of the fourth against Bastardo. After a leadoff walk from Baker, Nick Schnell doubled him home. Later in the inning, Schnell scored on a wild pitch, making it 6-1. In the top of the fifth, Greenville scored two runs on long balls from Alex Erro and Roman Anthony, making it a 6-3 Hot Rods lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bowling Green increased the lead off Greenville reliever Graham Hoffman. Williams lifted a solo homer over the right center field wall, making it a 7-3 game. After Dominic Keegan walked and Baker singled, both runners scored on a base hit from Jalen Battles to put the Hot Rods up 9-3. Williams drove in another run off Hoffman on a RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to make it 10-3.

Williams and Baker both smacked two-RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth off Drive reliever Aaron Perry, moving the score to 14-3. Bowling Green reliever Kyle Whitten closed it down in the ninth, pushing the Hot Rods to a 14-3 victory.

Goss (4-4) earned the win, allowing three runs on four hits, a walk, and five strikeouts over 5.0 frames. Bastardo (2-6) took the loss, letting up six runs on six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts over 4.0 innings.

The Hot Rods and the Drive play game three of a six-game series on Thursday with first pitch set for 6:35 PM CT. Bowling Green rolls out RHP Duncan Davitt (3-1, 5.05), while Greenville starts RHP Luis Perales (0-0, 1.80).

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