Keegan, Jones power Hot Rods over Dash
Published 11:45 pm Friday, August 25, 2023
Dominic Keegan and Brock Jones belted home runs to help the Bowling Green Hot Rods to a 10-5 victory over the Winston-Salem Dash at Bowling Green Ballpark on Friday night.
The scoring started in the bottom of the second inning against Winston-Salem starter Juan Carela. With one out in the inning, Keegan blasted a solo homer to left, putting Bowling Green (60-52 overall, 30-22 second half) in the lead, 1-0.
The Dash (56-57, 22-29) responded in the top of the third inning against Hot Rods starter JJ Goss. Troy Claunch reached on a hit by pitch, and one out later, Loidel Chapelli sent a homer to right-center field, giving the Dash a 2-1 lead.
Four runs came around to score in the bottom of the fourth with Carela still on the mound. BG’s Shane Sasaki led off with a walk and advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt. One out later, Xavier Isaac walked to put runners on first and second. Keegan grounded into a fielder’s choice, and the throw to second went into left field, scoring Sasaki and moving Isaac to third. Willy Vasquez grounded out second, scoring Isaac, and Jones cranked a two-run homer to right, making it a 5-2 lead for the Hot Rods.
Bowling Green plated five more runs between the fifth and the sixth innings. In the fifth, Carson Williams had a two-run single while Vasquez collected an RBI base hit. In the sixth, Isaac singled to right, scoring two, vaulting the Hot Rods to a 10-2 lead.
Winston-Salem scored three runs in the top of the seventh against Bowling Green reliever Alex Ayala. Colby Smelley hit a two-run long ball, and Claunch made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot, but that would be all the Dash could score in the 10-5 Hot Rods’ win.
Goss (6-5) tossed five innings, allowing two runs on one hit, walking three and striking out two batters in his sixth win of the season. Carela (2-6) went four innings, surrendering eight runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the loss.
Bowling Green and Winston-Salem play the penultimate game of the series on Saturday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. The Hot Rods send out right-hander Duncan Davitt (3-3, 3.78) and will face Dash righty Mason Adams (1-0, 3.75).