[Via email from Tom Gauthier, the Hot Rods Director of Broadcast/Media Relations.]
South Bend, IN – Struggling offensively on their six-game road trip, the Hot Rods woke up the bats on Thursday night, pounding out a season high 14 hits in South Bend. Unfortunately, they fell one big hit short, stranding 11 runners in an 8-6 loss. It was the seventh straight defeat, leaving the Hot Rods (3-12) with an 0-6 record on their trip entering Friday night’s return to Bowling Green Ballpark.
South Bend (5-10) scored first in the game, getting a pair of runs from the first three batters. Keon Broxton singled, went to second on an error, and then scored on Chris Owings’ triple. Owings scored one pitch later on a sacrifice fly to left from Bobby Borchering.
Bowling Green answered in its half of the second inning against Dan Taylor. Tyler Bortnick doubled to deep left field, his second two-base hit of the season. Two batters later, Ty Morrison drove him in with his second double of the season, making the score 2-1 South Bend.
After a home run from Broxton pushed the lead to 3-1, the Hot Rods came back to tie it in the third. Dustin Biell led off with a walk, taking second on a single from Chris Murrill. After Mayo Acosta advanced both runners with a fly ball to center field, Mark Thomas drove in Biell with an infield single to make it 3-2. Ryan Wiegand then scored Murrill to tie the game on a double off the right field wall.
The Silver Hawks struck right back in their half of the third, getting two more runs against Lobstein courtesy of a two-out, bases-loaded single from Ryan Babineau. Lobstein made it through the inning, but was done after three. The shortest outing of his career resulted in eight hits and five runs, four of them earned, all tying or setting career-highs. He struck out two and walked one.
South Bend tacked on two more in the fourth against Jake Sullivan. The first three men of the inning reached before a wild pitch brought home the first run. David Nick then followed with a groundball, driving in Owings to bump the lead to 7-3.
In the fourth, the Hot Rods managed to strike back for two more very quickly. Still facing the starter Dan Taylor, Thomas dumped a single into left-center field. Wiegand followed with a monstrous home run to deep right field, his first of the season, to make it a 7-5 game.
Taylor was knocked out a few batters later, lasting 4.2 innings. He gave up five runs, all earned, on ten hits. He finished with two strikeouts and two walks.
Once Taylor left, the Hot Rods didn’t do much against the South Bend bullpen. Diogenes Rosario threw 2.1 scoreless innings followed by a scoreless frame from Keny Sosa. The Hot Rods scored their final run in the ninth against Bradin Hagens, getting a double from Tyler Bortnick that scored Wiegand to cap the scoring at 8-6.
Offensively the Hot Rods pounded out a season-high 14 hits, including four doubles and a home run. Wiegand had three hits and three RBI, falling just a triple short of the cycle. Robi Estrada added three singles while Biell reached base three times with a base hit and two walks. Bortnick finished the night 2-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Ty Morrison also doubled and drove in a run.
The Hot Rods now return home to begin a six-game home stand on Friday night against the Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians). RHP Alexander Colome (0-1, 4.61) gets the ball against Captains’ RHP Trey Haley (0-0, 6.92). First pitch is at 7:05 PM. Stay with us for post-game fireworks presented by Kentucky Lottery. The first 1,000 fans 18 & older will receive a special offer from Kentucky Lottery when they enter the gates. For tickets, call 270.901.2121 or visit www.bghotrods.com.
