Santa Maria Launches Walk-Off Homer in 7-6 Bootleggers Win
Hot Rods Media Release
Bowling Green, Kentucky – Tony Santa Maria finished 4-for-5 with four extra-base hits, including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Bowling Green Bootleggers (80-47, 41-21) to a 7-6 victory over the Greenville Drive (58-68, 32-31) at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Santa Maria becomes the fourth player in Bowling Green franchise history to log four extra-base hits in a single game. Santa Maria joins Xavier Isaac, Shane Sasaki, and John Mollicone as the only players in the team’s 17-year history to do such.
The Drive snagged the lead with one run in the top first inning off against Bowling Green starter Trevor Harrison. Ronny Hernandez clubbed a solo home run to right field, making it 1-0 Greenville.
Harrison dominated from there, firing nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The nine punch outs finished one away from tying his career-best 10 strikeouts on August 18th against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
The Bootleggers equalized with one run against Drive starter Dylan Brown in the bottom of the first. Santa Maria ripped a double, stole third base, and touched home on a Nathan Flewelling single to tie the game at 1-1.
Bowling Green gathered their first lead against Brown, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. Santa Maria doubled to right, Flewelling moved Santa Maria to third on a single to left-center field, and Narciso Polanco delivered an RBI groundout to make it 2-1. Ryan McCoy plated Flewelling with an RBI double to right field, boosting the Bootleggers’ margin to 3-1.
Greenville leveled the game with two runs against Bowling Green bullpen arm Kaleb Corbett. Stanley Tucker logged a leadoff double to left field, and Givian Sirvania tagged a two-run homer to left, evening the game at 3-3.
The Drive got back in front with one run in the top of the seventh inning against Corbett. Antonio Anderson walked and scored from first base on a Skylar King two-out double, handing Greenville a 4-3 edge.
The Bootleggers tied the game with one run in the bottom of the seventh against Drive reliever Luis Cohen. Santa Maria towered a solo shot to left field, squaring the game at 4-4.
Bowling Green regained the lead with two runs against Greenville’s bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ryan Cermak walked and stole second base. Polanco collected a bunt single and swiped second, putting runners at second and third. A two-base error by Cohen allowed both runners to score, giving the Bootleggers a 6-4 advantage.
Greenville tied the game with two runs in the top of the ninth against bullpen arm Jacob Hartlaub. Hernandez singled to right, and Nazzan Zanetello ripped a two-run home run to left field, knotting the game at 6-6.
The Bootleggers walked it off in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Matt McShane. Santa Maria uncorked a solo homer to left field, rounding out a 7-6 Bowling Green win.
Hartlaub (2-2) received the win throwing 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with four punch outs mixed in. McShane (2-3) took the loss, giving up one run on one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts over 1.0 inning.
Bowling Green sports its White Squirrels alternate identity for game four of a six-game series with Greenville on Friday night at 6:35 PM. The White Squirrels will send RHP Jonathan Russell (3-1, 4.29) to the mound against Drive RHP Jordanny Monegro (0-0, 0.00).
