SAL Rome Emperors

Alvarez Jr Homers, Braves Fall to Bowling Green

Published on June 30, 2023 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release


Rome Braves on game night
Rome Braves on game night
(Rome Emperors)

ROME, GA - On a night where they out hit the defending South Atlantic League champions, the Rome Braves would fall by a final score of four runs to one.

Luis Vargas would get the starting nod from manager Angel Flores on Friday night. Vargas would continue his impressive month of June by hurling five innings of shutout baseball against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Vargas's final line of two hits, no runs, four walks, and four strike outs over five innings gives him sixteen innings of six run ball with eighteen strikeouts. Out of his five starts in the month of June, Vargas would only allow more than one run in two of them. Three to the same Bowling Green Hot Rods on June 1st, and two to Jersey Shore on June 22nd.

An impressive outing from Vargas would make way for Jonathan Hughes. Hughes would take over in the sixth inning with a one run lead thanks to a home run from a red-hot Nacho Alvarez Jr. In the home half of the fourth inning of Friday's game, Alvarez Jr would belt just his second home run of the 2023 campaign. Alvarez continues to be one of Rome's hottest hitters with a .289 and climbing average.

The lead for Hughes would slip away in the top half of the game's seventh frame, as Jalen Battles would get Bowling Green on the board with a single into center field that scored Nick Schnell. The single would be the only slip up from Hughes, as he set the stage for Rob Griswold. Hughes would exit with a final line of three hits, one run, no walks, and one strike out over two innings.

Griswold would find himself in early trouble, as Bowling Green would draw back to back walks to lead off the top half of the eighth. With two on and nobody gone in a one run game, a heavy hitting Bob Seymour would tuck his eleventh home run of the season just over the left field wall. Seymour continues to be the leading hitter in the Hot Rod clubhouse, as he proudly totes a .302 average with an OPS of .917.

The blast from Seymour would be all the Bowling Green bullpen needed on Friday night, as hard-throwing Keyshawn Askew and Nate Dahle would combine to throw four innings of scoreless baseball, securing a win for the Tampa Bay affiliate.

The four to one loss is Rome's fortieth of the season, and their fourth of the second half. The Braves are now four and a half games out of the first place spot in the race to the SAL Second Half Division Championship.

Rome and Bowling Green will continue the six game slate on Saturday night, as the rotation turns to New Mexico State alum Ian Mejia in a 5:00pm first pitch.

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Rome Braves on game night
Rome Braves on game night
   



South Atlantic League Stories from June 30, 2023


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