Bowling Green Hot Rods short stop Carson Williams (8) gets a high-five from Manager Rafael Valenzuela as he runs the bases on a home run in the Hot Rods’ 16-9 loss to the Asheville Tourists at the Bowling Green Ballpark on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)

The Bowling Green Hot Rods were unable to overcome an early hole, falling to Asheville 16-9 on Wednesday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Asheville (29-43 overall, 3-8 second half) built a nine-run cushion in the first three innings and cruised from there to bounce back from a 13-0 drubbing in the series opener.

The Tourists exploded for five runs in the first, chasing BG starter Cade Halemanu. The right-hander struck out the first two batters before succumbing to wildness. Halemanu walked four, two with the bases loaded, hit a batter and surrendered an RBI double to Michael Sandle before exiting after getting only two outs.

Justin Williams greeted reliever Kyle Whitten with a two-run single to make the score 5-0 and extended the streak to seven straight Tourists reaching base before Whitten struck out Logan Cerny to end the inning.

Tommy Sacco Jr. added a three-run homer in the second and Cerny delivered an RBI single in the third to extend the lead to 9-0.

Bowling Green (37-35, 6-5) got on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer from Jalen Battles and a solo shot by Carson Williams.

Asheville got a solo homer from Tim Borden II in the fifth before BG tried to chip away with RBI singles from Bob Seymour and Willy Vasquez in the bottom of the inning to make the score 10-5.

The Tourists got some distance again with three in the seventh to extend the margin to eight runs, but BG tried to rally again. Battle’s second homer of the night – a three-run shot – made the score 13-8 and the Hot Rods loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to inch any closer.

Asheville regained the momentum with three in the ninth, with BG getting an RBI double by Brock Jones to cap the scoring.

Asheville’s 16 runs equaled the most allowed in a game by Bowling Green this season, while the 19 hits allowed was a season high for the staff. It was the 11th time this season BG has allowed double-digit runs, only the second time since May 24.

Battles finished with three hits and five RBIs, with Seymour adding three hits and Jones finishing with a pair of hits.

Halemanu took the loss, dropping to 2-1 on the season with his ERA ballooning to 8.10.

UP NEXT

The series continues at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday.

Right-hander Duncan Davitt (0-0, 3.94) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Davitt will be making his third start for the Hot Rods. He allowed two runs in 11 innings in June, but allowed five runs in three innings of relief in his last appearance at Rome on Sunday. Davitt has yet to face Asheville this season.

Right-hander Miguel Ullohola (2-4, 5.73) is scheduled to start for the Tourists. Ullohola allowed two runs in four innings in his last appearance against Greenville on Saturday. He has faced the Hot Rods twice this season. Ullohola allowed six runs and five hits in 2⅔ innings on April 6 and tossed three one-hit innings against the Hot Rods on April 28.{&end}