Hot Rods Thump Drive 10-2, Secure Series Victory in Greenville

Greenville, South Carolina – Six different hitters had multi-hit performances for the Bowling Green Hot Rods (26-11), while Ryan McCoy drove in three runs, in a 10-2 drubbing of the Greenville Drive (14-23) on Friday at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

Three runs came in to score for the Hot Rods against Drive starter Marcus Phillips in the top of the second inning. Emilien Pitre led off the inning with a hit by pitch, Narciso Polanco and Marshall Toole singled, loading the bases. McCoy and J.D. Gonzalez both worked bases-loaded walks to make it 2-0. Angel Mateo grounded into a double play, plating another run, increasing the lead to 3-0.

Greenville responded with a run in the bottom of the third against Bowling Green starter Jacob Kisting. Natanael Yuten led off with a solo homer to center, making it a 3-1 Hot Rods lead.

Bowling Green battled back in the top of the fourth against Phillips. Toole and McCoy collected back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second. Both runners advanced on a Gonzalez sacrifice bunt. Mateo lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Toole, and Santana singled home McCoy, generating a 5-1 Hot Rods advantage.

The Drive pulled a run back in the bottom of the sixth against Hot Rods rehabber Austin Vernon. Yophery Rodriguez hit a solo homer to right, making it 5-2.

The Hot Rods offense exploded from the seventh inning on. McCoy and Mateo cracked RBI singles in the seventh. In the eighth, Flewelling drove in a run on a base hit, while McCoy scored a run on a sacrifice fly. To cap it off in the top of the ninth, Pitre singled a run home, making it a 10-2 score.

Jacob Kmatz pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth, locking up a series victory with a 10-2 win.

Andres Galan (3-2) earned the win, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out one. Phillips (0-3) was given the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two.

The Hot Rods and Drive play the penultimate game of the series on Saturday with a 5:45 PM CT first pitch at Fluor Field. Bowling Green will send out RHP Trevor Harrison (0-0, 4.70) against Greenville RHP Luis Cohen (0-4, 11.02).