Hot Rods Rocked in 10-2 Loss to West Michigan
Published on May 13, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Comstock Park, Mich. - West Michigan pounded out 16 hits - including seven extra-base knocks highlighted by an inside-the-park home run for Joey Pankake - as the Whitecaps hammered Bowling Green, 10-2, in front of a school day crowd 5,411 at Fifth Third Ballpark Wednesday afternoon.
The last seven hitters on the Whitecaps (15-18) lineup card all had at least two hits and combined to go 16-for-30, while setting new season highs for runs, hits and extra base hits allowed by Bowling Green (20-13) pitching.
Hyrum Formo (3-1) was victimized for a season-high six runs on 10 hits through a season-low 4.0 innings of work, with all six runs coming in the form of two three-run frames in the second and third.
Michael Gerber crushed a Formo offering over the right-field fence to lead off the second inning for his third of the year, and Pankake followed with a shot to right-centerfield just out of the reach of Thomas Milone's dive and to the warning track. Pankake was waved to the plate and beat the relay throw home for his Midwest League home run for the 2-0 advantage.
Will Kengor doubled into shallow left in the next at-bat and moved over to third base on a wild pitch for Zach Shepherd, whose sacrifice fly gave the Whitecaps a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Formo continued to struggle in the third inning, as Bralin Jackson slipped to grass on Ross Kivett's liner to left resulting in a one-out triple. Gerber brought him in immediately with a RBI single to center for a 4-0 lead. Kengor then doubled for the second time two at-bats later, leading to Shepherd's two-run bloop single to shallow right, giving West Michigan a 6-0 margin.
Damion Carroll got tagged for the next two West Michigan runs, when he walked four batters over just 1.2 innings of work while also scattering two hits, one of those being Gerber's third RBI of the game on a sixth-inning single, making for a 8-0 count.
Whitecaps starter Spencer Turnbull (3-1) gave up seven Hot Rod hits but did not allow a run over his 5.1 innings of work, while punching out three in the process. Bowling Green had chances to get back into the contest but left eight men on base through six innings.
After starting the game 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the Hot Rods finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh. Cristian Toribio led off the inning with a double and Jace Conrad knocked an infield single with one out to put two runners on base. After Conrad stole second - his team-best 13th theft of the year - Casey Gillaspie grinded out a nine-pitch at-bat before singling back up the middle to bring Toribio and Conrad home, making it an 8-2 Whitecaps lead.
Following Gillaspie's RBI single, Justin Williams reached on an infield single and Coty Blanchard walked to load the bases for Bowling Green, marking the end of the relief appearance for Johan Belisario, who went only 1.1 innings of relief giving up the two runs on four hits. Mac James faced new reliever Gabe Hemmer, who slowed his hot shot back up the middle that Pankake gloved at second for the inning-ending force play to end the Hot Rods threat.
West Michigan added two runs for good measure in the eighth against Brian Miller on Pankake's RBI double and Kengor's RBI single for what turned out to be the 10-2 final.
Thomas Milone, Conrad, Williams and Blanchard all knocked two base hits for the Hot Rods, but the offense left 11 men on base and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Henry Centeno (1-1, 3.68) looks to split the series in an end to the four-game set, opposite Whitecaps right-hander AJ Ladwig (2-3, 6.00) in a second straight 10:00 a.m. CDT start on Thursday.
Midwest League Stories from May 13, 2015
- Cougars Bite Bees Late - Burlington Bees
- Cougars Avoid No-Hitter in Comeback - Kane County Cougars
- Dragons Notes for 10:35 am Thursday Game - Dayton Dragons
- Kernels Announce 2015 Nick Adenhart Scholarship Winner - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Bandits Notch Largest Comeback Win Since 2011 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Captains Win Sixth in a Row - Lake County Captains
- Kernels Complete Comeback to Win in 10 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Chiefs Lose 6-5 in 10 Wednesday - Peoria Chiefs
- Wolfe Plays Hero in Loons Win - Great Lakes Loons
- Infielder Swap as McQuail Receives Promotion - Kane County Cougars
- Whitecaps Pour It on with Pankake - West Michigan Whitecaps
- TinCaps Can't Overcome Early Hole in Front of Sellout Crowd - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Loons Edge Dragons in 11 Innings, 2-1 - Dayton Dragons
- Hot Rods Rocked in 10-2 Loss to West Michigan - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- River Bandits Logo in the Bracket for Best in MiLB - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Miller Park Bus Trip to Snappers Game June 19th - Beloit Sky Carp
- Captains Begin Six-Game Home Stand on Friday Featuring Fireworks, Buck Night and Senior Day - Lake County Captains
- YMCA Kicks off Annual Equipment Drive for Inner-City Baseball - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Radack Collects Five Hits as Chiefs Rally for Win - Peoria Chiefs
- Chiefs Clip Kernels 5-3 in 11 Innings to Snap Streak - Cedar Rapids Kernels
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.
