Hakanson Tallies Career-High Seven Strikeouts in 5-3 Hot Rods' Loss
Published on August 18, 2023 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Greensboro, North Carolina - Jeff Hakanson tossed a career-high seven strikeouts over a career-high 3.0 innings, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods (27-18, 58-48) fell just short of a comeback in a 5-3 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (23-22, 59-50) on Friday at First National Bank Field.
Greensboro scored the first run of the game off Hakanson in the bottom of the third. Luke Brown led off with a single and stole second to put a runner in scoring position. After moving up to third on a sacrifice bunt, Brown scored on a sacrifice fly from Tres Gonzalez to put the Grasshoppers up 1-0.
The Grasshoppers offense exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth off Hot Rods reliever Haden Erbe, highlighted by back-to-back homers from Wyatt Hendrie and Shawn Ross.
Bowling Green answered back against Greensboro starter Thomas Harrington in the top of the seventh. Kamren James blasted a solo home run to make it 1-0. After Grasshoppers reliever Jake Stevenson came into the game, Blake Robertson singled and Chandler Simpson walked to put runners on first and second. Robertson and Simpson moved up a base on a wild pitch and came around to score on a two RBI single by Shane Sasaki.
In the top of the ninth, Grasshoppers reliever Valentin Linarez closed it down to finalize the game, 5-3.
Thomas Harrington (2-4) earned the win, letting up a run on two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts. Hakanson (0-1) took the loss, allowing a run on a hit and a walk to go with his seven strikeouts over 3.0 innings. Linarez (1) struck out three over 2.0 perfect innings to notch the save.
Bowling Green and Greensboro play the penultimate of a six-game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 5:30 PM CT. RHP J.J. Goss (5-4, 4.70) starts for the Hot Rods, while RHP J.P. Massey (1-3, 4.87) starts for the Grasshoppers.
Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv or listening through the MiLB First Pitch App, tuning into Talk 104.1 FM and 930 AM WKCT, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live.
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