MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

Conrad's Pinch-Hit, Inside the Park HR Caps Furious Comeback Win

Published on May 19, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Bowling Green, Ky. - Bowling Green staged a rally for the ages in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four two-out runs paced by Jace Conrad's pinch-hit, inside-the-park, three-run home run, as the Hot Rods raced past then held off West Michigan, 8-7, in front of 1,830 fans at Bowling Green Ballpark Tuesday evening.

With Bowling Green (23-16) down 6-4 and two outs in that fateful eighth, Nick Ciuffo struck out against reliever Gabe Speier for what should have been the final out, but he reached first on a wild pitch, opening the gates for a storybook finish.

Grant Kay followed Ciuffo - in the midst of a 1-for-31 slump - and lined a 3-2 pitch into left for a single bumping Ciuffo to third. West Michigan (19-20) lifted Speier for fireballing reliever Joe Jimenez (0-1), while the Hot Rods countered with their first pinch-hitter of the year in the eager Conrad.

On a 1-1 pitch, Conrad laced a sinking liner to centerfield that Derek Hill dove for but missed, permitting the ball to roll all the way to fence. Ciuffo and Kay scored easily to square the affair, and Conrad was also sent home, sliding feet first onto the dish a split second ahead of Shane Zeile's tag for the pinch-hit, three-run, inside-the-park home run and a 7-6 lead. It was Conrad's fifth home run of the season.

Two-out thunder continued to roll on back-to-back singles by Cristian Toribio and Thomas Milone, which Riley Unroe followed with a RBI single of his own making the margin 8-6. In all, seven straight two-out runners reached base in the eighth for Bowling Green.

That insurance run became vital in the ninth, when Joey Pankake lofted the third of three straight one-out singles to shallow left against Brian Miller (2-0) to net his second RBI of the night cutting deficit to 8-7. Miller fought back with the go-ahead runs on base to induce a flyout from Zeile and then fanned Zach Shepherd on a 2-2 slider - after he entered the at-bat 4-for-4 on the evening - to notch the win and give Bowling Green its eighth one-run triumph this season.

Ten of Bowling Green's 13 hits and all eight runs scored after two outs. Milone set a new career-high going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and stole his 12th base of the season to tie a career-high. Unroe tied a season standard going 3-for-5 with a career-high tying three RBI, which included a two-run triple in the seventh, while Ciuffo chipped in with two RBI to aid the home team's cause.

Every bit of that timely offense was necessary to withstand West Michigan's 17-hit attack - most allowed by the Hot Rods this season - led by four-hit efforts from Pankake and Shepherd.

Wednesday's tilt is set for a special 10:35 a.m. CDT first pitch on Education Day. The Hot Rods plan to toss right-hander Henry Centeno (1-2, 6.20) against Whitecaps right-hander A.J. Ladwig (3-3, 4.63), the reigning Midwest League Pitcher of the Week, after he fanned 10 Hot Rods over 8.0 scoreless innings in defeating Centeno, 11-0, last Thursday at Fifth Third Ballpark.

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Midwest League Stories from May 19, 2015


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