MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

Dayton Rallies Versus BG Bullpen, Wins Series Opener, 6-4

Published on August 27, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Dayton, Ohio - Dayton pushed across three runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh to comeback and defeat Bowling Green, 6-4, in front of 8,034 fans in the series opener at Fifth Third Field on Thursday night.

Bowling Green (28-30, 65-63) fell to 2-4 on the road trip with two games still to play, while Dayton (26-31, 66-62) moved to 7-5 over its last 12 games after starting the month with a 2-8 mark.

Gomez, pitching for the second straight night after saving the Hot Rods 6-4 win at Great Lakes on Wednesday, came into the game in relief of starter Chris Pike to protect a 4-3 lead. Gomez surrendered a single to the first batter he faced, Luis Gonzalez, moving Garrett Boulware - who reached on a leadoff single against Pike - to third, setting the table for Jonathan Reynoso's RBI single to score Boulware and tie the game at 4-4.

Shed Long then extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a RBI single up the middle through a drawn-in infield to give Dayton its first lead of the night at 6-4.

In a no-decision, Pike went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) across seven hits, while walking one and striking out two.

After a perfect top of the ninth inning in Wednesday's finale at Great Lakes, Gomez (5-4) only pitched the final two outs of the seventh in absorbing the loss.

Southpaw Junior Morillo (4-8) humbled Bowling Green over 3.0 perfect relief innings before giving way to Jacob Ehret in the ninth, Bralin Jackson drew a leadoff walk, and after Hunter Lockwood's flyout, was thrown out trying to steal second base for two down. Mac James ripped a two-strike single into centerfield to keep the game alive, but Ehret induced a Grant Kay flyout to centerfield to clinch his third save of the season.

Bowling Green took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second against Dragons' All-Star starter Tejay Antone, when Coty Blanchard and Jackson both drew consecutive walks to open the inning. Blanchard and Jackson successfully executed a double steal, and an errant throw by catcher Boulware to second base skipped into centerfield giving Blanchard home plate and the Hot Rods the first lead of the series at 1-0. James drove home Jackson on a sacrifice fly to centerfield, making it 2-0.

Dayton cut the Bowling Green lead in half in the bottom of the third inning, when Gonzalez singled with one out to centerfield, and Reynoso tripled him home in the ensuing at-bat, making it 2-1.

However, the Hot Rods scored single runs in the fourth and fifth - an unearned run in the fourth on two-out throwing error following Kay's infield single to score James, who doubled in the previous at bat, and an Alec Sole double play groundout in the fifth with the bases loaded that scored Cristian Toribio - giving the Hot Rods a 4-1 advantage.

Antone, who escaped that bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with just one run allowed, went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits, walking three and striking out two in a no-decision of his own.

Pike surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, when Narciso Crook tripled home Boulware - who reached on a Toribio fielding error with one out - bringing the Dragons within 4-2, while a Gonzalez RBI single scored Crook, making for a 4-3 game.

Milone and James each knocked two hits for the Hot Rods, who combined for seven total hits against Dayton pitching, but went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Gonzalez set the pace for Dayton's 11-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. Long and Reynoso each knocked home two men, while the Dragons went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

In the middle game of the three-game set on Friday at 6:07 p.m. CDT, Bowling Green sends Jose Mujica (1-3, 4.91) to the rubber against Dragons' right-hander Jake Paulson (6-5, 2.81).

Check out the Bowling Green Hot Rods Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from August 27, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central