Two Home Runs Aren’t Enough as Bootleggers Fall 4-2

Bowling Green, Kentucky – The season debut of the Bowling Green Bootleggers (9-3) ended in a loss to the Rome Braves (8-4), who capitalized on a four-walk fifth inning in a tight 4-2 game. The series continues Friday night with another 6:35 PM CDT first pitch.

Bowling Green’s first run as the Bootleggers in 2022 was a loud one, as Ronny Simon belted his first home run of the season over the left field wall to make the score 1-0 in the third inning. Rome struck back in the following frame on a Christian Robinson single. Cade Bunnell tried to move from second to third but was thrown out seconds after Bryson Horne crossed the plate. The Braves broke the tie in the fifth with two runs and added another in the seventh to make it 4-1.

A ninth-inning, one-out blast by Heriberto Hernandez wasn’t enough to spark a rally for Bowling Green, as the next two pitches were grounded to second to end the game in a 4-2 loss.

Zack Trageton (0-1) suffers his first loss of the season, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits in 4.0 innings of work with three walks and seven strikeouts. Conor Dryer threw 2.1 innings with one earned run, four walks and three strikeouts. Matthew Peguero finished the game off for the Bootleggers with 2.2 scoreless frames and allowed two hits.