Hot Rods win series finale Sunday in Georgia

Rome, Ga. – A pair of homers lifted the Bowling Green Hot Rods (12-6) to a 5-3 victory over the Rome Braves (10-8) to force a series split on Sunday afternoon at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Georgia. Monday is an off-day across the minors.

Bowling Green scored the first run of the game in the first inning against Rome starter Tanner Gordon. With one out, Jonathan Aranda crushed a solo home run, giving the Hot Rods a 1-0 edge.

In the top of the second, Osmy Gregorio hit a leadoff single. Gordon made a wild throw on a pickoff attempt, resulting in an error and moved Gregorio to third base. Pedro Martinez grounded out to second base and brought him in to score, bringing Bowling Green’s lead to 2-0.

Rome got a run back against Hot Rods starter Zack Trageton in the fourth, but the Hot Rods answered with two in the fifth against Gordon. Jordan Qsar singled to left with one out and Jacson McGowan homered to right, giving the Hot Rods a 4-1 edge.

The Braves scored a pair of runs in the sixth to cut the Hot Rods lead to a run against reliever Tanner Dodson, but Bowling Green collected an insurance run in the eighth off Braves reliever Jake McSteen. Pedro Martinez struck a two-out single and Aranda walked. Ruben Cardenas singled to left, scoring Martinez to extend the Hot Rods lead to 5-3.

The Braves loaded the bases against Jacob Lopez out of the bullpen for Bowling Green, but the lefty worked out of the jam and the Hot Rods closed out the 5-3 win.

Trageton (1-1) went 5.0 innings while allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts in his first win of the season. Dodson pitched 1.0 innings while allowing two hits and two unearned runs while earning a hold. Lopez (1) earned a save after going 3.0 shutout innings while holding the Braves to one hit with a walk and four strikeouts.