Bowling Green Hot Rods right fielder Nick Schnell (7) hits a home run in the Hot Rods’ 7-2 loss in the first game of a doubleheader against the Asheville Tourists at the Bowling Green Ballpark on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)

Nick Schnell connected for his second home run in back-to-back nights, and J.J. Goss tossed a career-high six innings that elevated the Bowling Green Hot Rods to a 5-4 win over the Hickory Crawdads on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green (15-14) scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning off Hickory starter Matt Brosky. Shane Sasaki reached on an error, Bob Seymour singled to center and Matthew Dyer singled to left that loaded the bases. Willy Vasquez plated Sasaki on an infield single that put Bowling Green up 1-0.

Hickory (12-17) tied it up at 1-1 in the bottom of the third off Hot Rods starter Goss with a solo homer by Cody Freeman.

The Hot Rods answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning, starting with a solo homer from Schnell to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Oniell Manzueta walked, moved up to third on a throwing error, and scored on an RBI single by Nate Soria that gave the Hot Rods a 3-1 lead.

Bowling Green increased its lead in the bottom of the sixth against Hickory reliever Aidan Anderson. Manzueta walked and scored on an RBI triple from Blake Robertson that moved the score to 4-1. Carson Williams made it a 5-1 game by plating Robertson on a double to left.

Hickory scored two runs in the eighth and a run in the ninth, but Kyle Whitten struck out Daniel Mateo for the final out of the game, pushing Bowling Green to a 5-4 victory.

Goss (1-1) tossed six innings, allowing a run on three hits, two walks and six strikeouts to earn the win. Brosky (0-1) picked up the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Whitten secured his second save while allowing an unearned run on a hit, two walks and two strikeouts in the ninth.

The Hot Rods and Crawdads play the penultimate of a six-game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. Bowling Green is sending right-hander Ben Peoples (0-2, 3.52) to the mound, while Hickory is starting righty Josh Stephan (3-1, 1.80).