SAL Bowling Green Hot Rods

Hot Rods Lose 8-7 in Walk-Off, Caminero Homers Twice

April 19, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Hickory, North Carolina - Junior Caminero went 4-for-4 with five RBI, including two home runs, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods (6-3) lost in walk-off fashion 8-7 to the Hickory Crawdads (5-4) on Wednesday night at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina.

Bowling Green started the scoring in the top of the first off Hickory starter Winston Santos. Carson Williams singled and Caminero got hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Willy Vasquez scored Williams on a base hit to right and put the Hot Rods up 1-0. Schnell slapped a sacrifice fly towards right to plate Caminero from third and increase Bowling Green's lead, 2-0. In the top of the third, Williams led off with a single and scored on a two-run homer by Caminero that increased the Hot Rods lead, 4-0.

The Hickory offense fought back in the bottom of the third against Bowling Green starter J.J. Goss. Marcus Smith singled and Jayce Easley doubled to put runners on second and third. Max Acosta reached first on a fielding error by Vasquez, scoring Smith to make it a 4-1 ballgame. Alejandro Osuna singled in Easley from third and moved Acosta over to third to cut the deficit to 4-2. Josh Hatcher grounded into a fielder's choice that plated Acosta and made it 4-3.

The Hot Rods increased their lead off Santos in the top of the fourth. Blake Robertson led off with a single and Nate Soria got hit by a pitch. Caminero plated both runners with a three-run home run, his second of the night, to regain a four-run lead, 7-3.

Hickory scored again in the bottom of the sixth off Bowling Green reliever Franklin Dacosta. Osuna led off with a walk and moved up to second on a single by Hatcher. He went to third on a ground ball off the bat of Cody Freeman, but scored on a throwing error by Vasquez to put the game at 7-4.

More runs came across for the Crawdads in the bottom of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Antonio Menendez. Easley walked and Acosta singled to put runners on first and second. Osuna cut the lead to 7-5 on a double to center that scored Easley and moved Acosta to third. Hatcher singled in Acosta and Osuna to tie the game, 7-7.

In the bottom of the ninth, Hatcher and Daniel Mateo put runners on first and second with back-to-back walks against Bowling Green reliever Sandy Gaston. Freeman scored Hatcher on a deep single to center, winning the game for Hickory, 8-7.

Michael Brewer (1-0) got the win, striking out two and walking one in a scoreless ninth. Sandy Gaston (0-1) picked up the loss, walking two and allowing a run in the ninth.

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play the third game of a six-game series on Thursday with first pitch set for 6:00 PM CT. Bowling Green is set to start RHP Ben Peoples (0-0, 0.00), while Hickory sends RHP Josh Stephan (1-0, 1.80) to the bump

Fans can catch all the action by 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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South Atlantic League Stories from April 19, 2023


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