The Bowling Green Hot Rods survived an early onslaught but couldn’t withstand a late rally, falling 10-5 to Peoria (Ill.) on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green overcame an early deficit to take a lead into the seventh inning before Peoria used a late push to even the series and snap the Hot Rods’ three-game win streak.

“We couldn’t hold the lead,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “They put up really good at-bats. They made our pitchers work a lot and then we paid the price. They did a really good job not swinging at bad pitches.”

After an 8-7, 11-inning slugfest in Saturday’s series opener, the offenses kept up the pressure combining for five home runs in the first five innings.

Peoria started the homer barrage with two from Stefan Trosclair – a two-run shot off the batter’s eye in dead center in the first and an opposite field solo shot to right in the third.

Former Western Kentucky University infielder Danny Hudzina added a solo homer in the fourth to extend the lead to 4-0, but the Hot Rods would rally back.

The Hot Rods went back-to-back in the fifth – with Adrian Rondon’s solo shot following a three-run homer to left-center by Mike Brosseau – to tie the score. Rondon then gave Bowling Green the lead one inning later with an RBI single.

The Chiefs tied the score with an unearned run in the seventh, then surged back in front for good with five runs in the eighth – highlighted by a two-run double from Hudzina.

“That was tough,” Ruiz said. “Again, they put up really good at-bats late in the game and that was a big mountain to climb.”

Deivy Mendez took the loss in relief, falling to 1-4. Mendez allowed six runs – five earned – and five hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Bowling Green finished with 11 hits, two each from Rondon, Brosseau and Miles Mastrobuoni.

Peoria finished with 12 hits. Hudzina finished 2-for-5 to improve to 4-for-10 in the series with five RBIs and four runs scored.

“He’s a pretty good player,” Ruiz said. “I was talking to him during the game and he seems like a nice kid. He played really well today.”

A Dozen and Counting

Brosseau extended his hit streak to 12 Sunday, matching Jesus Sanchez for the longest hit streak by a Hot Rods hitter this season. Brosseau is hitting 21-for-45 during the streak with eight multi-hit games, two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Up Next

The series – and homestand – is scheduled to conclude at 12:05 p.m. on Monday.

Right-hander Willy Ortiz (4-1, 3.33) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Ortiz is 4-0 in his last six starts, allowing eight earned runs in 35 innings. He has worked at least six innings in his last three starts, including his last at Clinton (Iowa) on July 17 when he didn’t allow an earned run in six innings.

Lefty Evan Kruczynski (1-1, 5.48) is scheduled to start for the Chiefs. Kruczynski was a ninth-round pick out of East Carolina in June’s draft for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has made five starts since joining Peoria, allowing at least four earned runs in three of those starts.{&end}