Brock Jones started the scoring for the Bowling Green Hot Rods in the bottom of the second inning with a three-run homer and the offense didn’t stop there, beating the Greenville Drive 8-3 on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark. 

Greenville (49-44 overall, 13-14 second half) began the scoring in the top of the second off Bowling Green starter Duncan Davitt. Eddinson Paulino smacked a solo homer to make it a 1-0 game.

Bowling Green (46-42, 15-12) answered back in the bottom of the second off Drive starter Luis Perales. Blake Robertson and Dru Baker worked walks to put runners on first and second. Jones homered over the right-field wall, making it a 3-0 game. Carson Williams singled and moved up to second on a stolen base. He was able to score on a fielding error by Perales, putting the Hot Rods up 4-1.

Bowling Green exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fifth against Greenville reliever Jordan DiValerio. Kenny Piper led off with a single and came around to score on a Nick Schnell single and a Greenville error, making it a 5-1 game. Kamren James plated Schnell with an RBI triple to center, increasing the Hot Rods’ lead to 6-1.

Robertson brought in James with a base hit and Jalen Battles made it five consecutive hits with a single. A wild pitch advanced both runners to second and third, and Baker brought in Robertson with a groundout, capping off the fifth with a 8-1 lead.

Two runs came around to score for the Drive in the top of the sixth against Hot Rods reliever Sandy Gaston. Tyler Miller worked a one out walk and Bryan Gonzalez drilled a two-run homer to right, cutting into the lead, 8-3.

Reliever Keyshawn Askew tossed the final three frames to carry Bowling Green to an 8-3 win.

Davitt (2-1) earned the win, allowing a run on three hits and five strikeouts over five innings. Perales (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits, four walks and three strikeouts over two frames. Askew collected the save, striking out four over three perfect innings.

The Hot Rods and the Drive play game four of a six-game series on Friday with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. Bowling Green will start right-hander Ben Peoples (3-5, 3.97), while Greenville starts righty Juan Daniel Encarnacion (3-6, 4.56).