Early offense leads Bootleggers to 10-5 win over Rome Emperors

Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Bowling Green Bootleggers (4-2) posted season-highs in runs (10), hits (10) and extra-base hits (4), defeating the Rome Emperors (3-3) 10-5 at Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday.

The Bootleggers plated four runs to start the scoring in the bottom of the second. Connor Hujsak crushed a solo home run to right-field off Emperors starter Cedric De Grandpre to make it a 1-0 lead. Tom Poole and Ryan McCoy walked, sandwiching a J.D. Gonzalez single to load the bases. Adrian Santana drove in two runs on a single, and Émilien Pitre added another run on a base hit, boosting the lead to 4-0.

Bowling Green continued their strong hitting in the bottom of the third against the Rome bullpen. Nathan Flewelling cranked a solo home run to right field, turning the lead to five. The Bootleggers loaded the bases and J.D. Gonzalez collected an RBI single, and Ryan McCoy worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-0, Bowling Green.

Two more runs in the bottom of the fourth blossomed the lead to 9-0. Pitre walked to set up a Flewelling RBI triple, making it 8-0. Narciso Polaco hit an RBI groundout one batter later for a 9-0 cushion.

The Emperors managed to scratch one run off Bootleggers’ starter Jacob Kisting in the fifth inning. Eric Hartman walked with one out, then Mason Guerra hit a two-out double to make it 9-1, Bootleggers.

Rome made things interesting in the late innings. The Emperors logged another run in the top of the sixth off Bowling Green’s Jonathan Russell to make it 9-2.

The visitors rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning against Bowling Green’s Andrew Lindsey. Cody Miller’s RBI double and Colby Jones’ two-run single made it 9-5, eventually bringing the tying run to the plate. Reliever Cade Citelli worked a flyout to close the inning.

The Bootleggers got one insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to help ice the game. Adrian Santana doubled and scored from second base on an Isaac Gallegos wild pitch, swelling the lead to 10-5.

Citelli hurled a 1-2-3 ninth inning, closing out the victory.

Kisting (1-0) earned the victory with 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with seven strikeouts. De Grandpre (0-1) took the loss after throwing 1.2 innings, surrendering four runs on four hits, walking three and fanning three. Citelli (1) earned the save with 2.1 scoreless innings and three punch outs, giving up one hit.

The Hot Rods and Emperors play the fourth game of a six-game series on Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark with a 6:35 PM CT first pitch. Bowling Green RHP Gary Gill Hill (1-0, 3.60 ERA) takes the bump against Rome LHP Cam Caminiti (0-0, 5.79 ERA).