Late Offensive Spur Not Enough as Dash Lose, 10-5

BOWLING GREEN, KY (August 25th, 2023) - The Winston-Salem Dash dropped game four of a six-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 10-5, Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Winston-Salem (56-58) gave the ball to Juan Carela and the Samana, Dominican Republic native sat down Bowling Green (61-52) in order in the first, but in the bottom of the second, Dominic Keegan opened the scoring on a solo homer taking a 1-0 lead to the third.

The Dash couldn't figure out Hot Rods starter JJ Goss over the first two innings, but in the third, Winston-Salem struck. With one out, Troy Claunch was hit putting a runner on. After a fly out, Loidel Chapelli stepped to the plate and with one swing of the bat gave the Dash the lead. Chapelli blasted his ninth homer of the year to right center moving Winston-Salem in front, 2-1.

Carela got a shutdown inning in the third, but Bowling Green tagged him for four runs in the fourth including a two-run homer from Brock Jones giving the home side a 5-2 lead. In the fifth, Bowling Green continued to hit Carela as the Hot Rods tacked on three more runs and lead 8-2 after five innings.

In the sixth, Bowling Green added a pair of runs building the lead to eight, 10-2. The Dash did not go down quietly as in the seventh, Winston-Salem turned to the long ball. Following a leadoff walk, Colby Smelley demolished his first homer of the year to left center cutting the deficit to six, 10-4. Next batter, Claunch, went back-to-back with Smelley making it, 10-5.

After the two homers in the seventh inning, the Dash could not muster up any more runs against the Hot Rods bullpen as Bowling Green won game four, 10-5.

Claunch finished the day 2-for-2 at the plate with a RBI and a walk, while Smelley picked up a multi-RBI outing in the loss.

The Dash and Hot Rods meet for game five on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. from Bowling Green Ballpark.