Nick Schnell tallied his seventh home run of the season, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods collected just three hits during their 2-1 loss to the Hickory Crawdads on Tuesday at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, N.C.

Hickory (22-32) scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning off Bowling Green starter J.J. Goss. Cody Freeman led off with a double and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Daniel Mateo notched an infield single to third, scoring Freeman to put the Crawdads up 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, the Crawdads’ Geisel Cepeda singled and came around to score on an RBI double by Max Acosta that made it a 2-0 ballgame.

The Hot Rods (26-27) received a spark in the top of the fifth against Crawdads reliever Andy Rodriguez. Schnell smacked a solo homer to left center, decreasing Hickory’s lead to a run.

In the top of the ninth, Bowling Green’s Kenny Piper and Dru Baker reached base, but Crawdads reliever Robby Ahlstrom recorded the final out on Brock Jones to push Hickory to a 2-1 victory.

Hickory’s Leury Tejada (2-2) notched the win, striking out three and walking two over three no-hit innings. Goss (3-3) took the loss, tossing five innings while allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Ahlstrom collected the save, recording a walk over a scoreless ninth. 

Bowling Green and Hickory play game two of a six-game series on Wednesday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. The Hot Rods are starting right-hander Ben Peoples (2-4, 3.83), while the Crawdads are set to start righty Josh Stephan (3-3, 1.94).