Baker Collects Three Hits, Hot Rods Drop Finale 12-3
Bowling Green, Kentucky – Despite Dru Baker’s 3-for-3 afternoon, the Bowling Green Hot Rods (5-2) dropped their second game in a row to the Rome Braves (4-4) by a score of 12-3 on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark. The Hot Rods took four of the six games, clinching their first series victory of the season.
Rome began the scoring in the top of the first off Bowling Green starter Keyshawn Askew. With one out, Quintero hit an infield single to shortstop and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Ignacio Alvarez reached first on an error from Willy Vasquez, allowing Quintero to score from second, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. The Braves scored again in the third off Hot Rods reliever Austin Vernon. Alvarez led off with a single and Adam Zebrowski blasted a two-run homer to increase the lead, 3-0.
Kevin Kilpatrick singled and stole second to lead off the top of the fifth with Vernon still on the mound. He made it to third on a passed ball and Quintero walked to put runners on the corners. Alvarez singled to right, scoring Kilpartick and making it a 4-0 ballgame. Quintero made it 5-0 Braves, scoring from third on a throwing error by Jeffry Parra. Zebrowski walked and Brandol Mezquita doubled to plate Alvarez and move the score to 6-0. Keshawn Ogans drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single, adding to the lead, 8-0.
With one out in the sixth, Zebrowski walked and moved to second on a wild pitch from Hot Rods reliever Aneudy Cortorreal. Mezquita singled to right and allowed Zebrowski to score, making it 7-0 Braves. Morton walked and Cory Acton singled-in Mezquita on a line drive to left and put Rome up, 10-0.
Bowling Green notched their first runs of the game off Rome reliever Rolddy Munoz in the bottom of the sixth inning. Carson Williams reached first on a throwing error, and Junior Caminero singled to right to put runners on first and third. Baker mashed a sacrifice-fly to left, scoring Williams and making it a 10-1 game. Nick Schnell drove in the final run of the inning with a single, cutting into the lead, 10-2.
Rome responded by scoring another run in the top of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Kyle Whitten. Kilpatrick led off with a single, and Zebrowski made it 11-2 on an RBI double.
The Braves plated two more runs in the top of the ninth against Hot Rods reliever Graeme Stinson, advancing the lead to 12-2. In the bottom half of the ninth, Oneill Manzueta smacked a solo home run over the right field wall off Braves reliever Ronaldo Alesandro, making it 12-3. The Hot Rods couldn’t score the rest of the way, ending the day with a 12-3 loss.
A.J. Smith-Shawver (1-0) got the win, tossing 4.2 innings while allowing three hits and striking out eight. Keyshawn Askew got the loss (0-1), allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts over 3.0 innings.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods enjoy an off-day on Monday, before traveling to North Carolina to begin a six-game series against the Hickory Crawdads on Tuesday with first pitch set for 6:00 PM CT.
