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SAL Bowling Green Hot Rods

Hot Rods Walk-Off Grasshoppers, Smith Wins 900th Game on Tuesday

June 30, 2021 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Bowling Green, Kentucky - Connor Hollis walked with the bases loaded to give the Bowling Green Hot Rods (32-15) a 3-2 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers (28-21) on Tuesday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The victory earned Hot Rods manager Jeff Smith his 900th career win. The two teams will play the second game of a six-game series on Wednesday with a 12:05 PM CT first pitch.

The Hot Rods hopped onto the scoreboard first against Greensboro starting pitcher Quinn Priester. With one out, Greg Jones walked. In the next at-bat, he stole second base, drawing a throwing error from Greensboro catcher Grant Koch, moving Jones to third. Niko Hulsizer brought him home with a single on the next pitch to give the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead.

Greensboro tied the game in the fifth but Bowling Green regained lead in the bottom of the sixth inning against Greensboro reliever Alexander Manasa. Jones was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Evan Edwards drove him in with a double to give the Hot Rods a 2-1 edge. The Grasshoppers tied the game again in the top of the eighth against Hot Rods reliever Evan McKendry. Matthew Gorski led off the inning with a single and Lolo Sanchez brought him home with a single to tie the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Hot Rods brought in the winning run against Grasshoppers reliver Oliver Garcia. Erik Ostberg led off the inning with a walk and Jordan Qsar moved him to second on a single, where Hill Alexander took over for Ostberg as a pinch runner. In the next at-bat, Pedro Martinez put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Before the next pitch was thrown, Greensboro intentionally walked Grant Witherspoon to load the bases. With two outs, Connor Hollis walked to push in Alexander and secure a walk-off win, 3-2.

Mercado pitched 5.0 innings, giving up one run (unearned) on two hits while striking out six in a no-decision. McKendry tossed 3.0 innings, allowing two

hits, one run, and striking out six. Strong (3-0) hurled a perfect ninth, with a strikeout, in his third win of the season.

Notes: Mercado tied his season-high with six strikeouts... He has done this three times this season... Mercado's 5.0 innings pitched also ties a season-high... This is the third time this season he has tossed 5.0 innings... Witherspoon collected his third multi-hit game of 2021... This is Bowling Green's first walk-off since June 12th... Bowling Green has three walk-offs this year... This is also the first walk-off Greg Jones wasn't involved in ... The Hot Rods are 19-8 when scoring first this season... BG is 21-2 when outhitting opponents... Bowling Green is 2-3 against Greensboro all-time... This snaps a three-game losing streak against the Grasshoppers that dates back to 2009... The Hot Rods are 6-5 in one-run games... The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers play the second game of a six-game series Wednesday with a 12:05 PM CT first pitch... The Hot Rods send LH Jacob Lopez (2-0, 2.30) to the mound against Grasshoppers RH Michael Burrows (1-2, 2.41)... Fans can catch all of the action by watching on MiLB.tv or listening through the MiLB First Pitch app, tuning into WBGN 94.5 FM and 1340 AM, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 30, 2021


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