SAL Bowling Green Hot Rods

Hot Rods Game Notes

Published on May 20, 2022 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Great Bats of Fire... Bowling Green hit a game-high four home runs on Thursday night in a 12-3, 21-hit rout of the Grasshoppers. Ronny Simon went 4-4 with 3 RBI and his sixth homer of the year, and Matthew Dyer went 4-5 and scored three runs. Tanner Murray and Nate Soria each added two RBI for BG as well.

Thursday's Notes... The Hot Rods had a 20-plus hit game for the eighth time in franchise history... The last occurrence was on June 11, 2021 in Hickory against the Crawdads... With Thursday's 21-hit performance, the Hot Rods have had a game with 20 or more hits for the fifth consecutive season dating back to 2017... Simon's four hits were a season-high... Dyer set a career-high with four hits... Nine of the 10 Hot Rods in the lineup had hits on Thursday... Simon, Murray, and Soria all had multi-RBI games... Six players had multiple hits...

Rematch... The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers square off for the first time since the 2021 High-A East Championship Series. The series started in Greensboro, but two rainouts pushed the start of the Championship to the weekend. The Hot Rods left North Carolina with a split in the first two games, but the Grasshoppers took a 2-1 lead in the first game at Bowling Green Ballpark in the best of five set. BG won the next two games to seal the franchise's second title and second in three seasons.

North Bound... The Grasshoppers changed divisions in 2022, moving from the South to the North. The Hot Rods are 10-8 in games against North Division opponents this year and have put together a record of 11-4 in Division.

O-swingin-it Basabe... Osleivis Basabe's 15-game hitting streak ended on Tuesday after having been the hottest hitter on the Hot Rods and, arguably, the league in May. The infielder's 15-game hit streak is tied for the sixth-longest in franchise history. The streak is also tied for the longest in the SAL this season. Basabe slashed .400/.459/582 over the 15-game stretch with just six strikeouts and 11 runs scored. Nine of his 22 hits were for extra bases.

Other Streaks... Tanner Murray has the longest active hitting streaks on the Hot rods at four games. Kyle Manzardo, Diego Infante, Alexander Ovalles, and Matthew Dyer each have hits in three consecutive games for BG. Ronny Simon (7), Ovalles (6), Hiott (4), Dyer (5), Manzardo (3), and Murray (4) all have active on-base streaks as well.

Award-Winning Community Spirit... On Sunday, April 24, the Volunteers in Action executive committee recognized the Bowling Green Hot Rods as their 2022 Truist Spirit of Community Award winner. Since their inception in 2009, the Hot Rods have been very active in the South-Central Kentucky and Bowling Green community, partnering with numerous charitable organizations and initiatives. Recently, the Hot Rods helped clean up from the tornados that devasted Bowling Green and the surrounding cities, aiding with the cleanup of the tornado damage around Bowling Green and spearheading a charity auction that donated items from across the county to raise funds to help the community recover.

Big changes at the ballpark... The Hot Rods have made many upgrades to Bowling Green Ballpark with the help of the city of Bowling Green and the Tampa Bay Rays. Additional room in the home and visiting clubhouses have been made with upgrades to spaces like the kitchen areas and more meeting space for staff. A women's locker room has been created and what was once a hitting tunnel has been expanded to a training facility. A new grounds shop was erected while fans will notice a brighter playing surface thanks to new LED lights that are digitally controlled. The Happy Hiller Corner in left field also got a facelift, with new bar tops added for a unique experience at the ballpark.




South Atlantic League Stories from May 20, 2022


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