It proved to truly be a thin margin of error Tuesday for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, who dropped a 7-2 home decision to Quad Cities (Iowa).

Bowling Green (14-16) had chances throughout before Quad Cities pulled away late to even the series and deny the Hot Rods a chance to move to .500 for the first time since April 27.

The Hot Rods had 11 hits, but stranded 12 runners – finishing 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Quad Cities (16-14) finished 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position and scored four of its seven runs with two outs.

“We had our chances and we couldn’t execute,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “We paid for it tonight.”

The River Bandits got a run in each of the first two innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

The Hot Rods got a bases-loaded walk to Nate Lowe in the bottom of the third, only to see Quad Cities push the lead back to two with a run in the fourth.

Again the Hot Rods cut the deficit to one, with Jonah Heim scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 3-2, but Bowling Green didn’t get any closer.

Ronnie Dawson’s two-out RBI double pushed the lead back to 4-2 in the sixth and the River Bandits put it away with three runs in the ninth.

“We had our chances to score and the last inning we gave up three runs,” Ruiz said. “That was basically it.

“We are going to come tomorrow and forget about tonight and hopefully come with more energy and try to score early and get the win.”

J.D. Busfield took the loss, dropping to 3-1 on the season. Busfield allowed three runs – two earned – and six hits with six strikeouts in five innings. It was the first time this season he allowed more than one earned run in a start.

Lucius Fox had three hits for the Hot Rods, while Mike Brosseau, Nate Lowe and Josh Lowe had two hits each.

LEAVE ‘EM LOADED

Bowling Green’s offensive frustrations reached a boiling point during the third and fifth innings, when the Hot Rods had chances to break the game open but were turned away.

The Hot Rods loaded the bases with one out in the third, and had just scored on Nate Lowe’s bases-loaded walk, but a strikeout by Adrian Rondon and a fly out by Eleardo Cabrera ended the rally.

Two innings later, Bowling Green loaded the bases with no outs, but couldn’t score as Rondon popped up to first in foul territory, Cabrera struck out and Robbie Tenerowicz flew out to end the inning.

“Two times we had the bases loaded and less than two outs and we couldn’t execute,” Ruiz said. “If you don’t execute in those situations, you pay for it.

“We were impatient and trying to guess in those situations. We just couldn’t put the ball in play when we needed. When you have those chances and don’t execute, that is the game right there.”

ALUMNI REPORT

Former Bowling Green pitcher Dylan Floro made his Chicago Cubs debut during Game 1 of a doubleheader at Colorado on Monday.

Floro allowed one run and six hits in 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.

The right-hander, who pitched for Bowling Green in 2013, made his major league debut with Tampa Bay last season but was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in January.

He was pitching for Triple A Iowa before getting called up by the Cubs on Monday.

UP NEXT

The rubber match of the three-game series was scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Wednesday.

Left-hander Brock Burke (3-0, 1.04) was scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Burke has allowed three earned runs and 15 hits in 26 innings of work this season. Burke got a no-decision in his last start at Wisconsin on May 4, allowing one earned run in five innings.

Left-hander Cionel Perez (1-1, 7.56) was scheduled to start for Quad Cities. After surrendering seven earned runs in his season debut, Perez earned the win on May 5 against Lake County (Ohio) – tossing 5 2/3 shutout innings.