Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder Brock Jones (7) makes a diving attempt at a fly ball Sunday, June 2, 2024 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Daily News Photo by Joe Imel/joe.imel@bgdailynews.com)

Ryan Cermak collected five hits for the Bowling Green Hot Rods for the first time since Carson Williams accomplished the feat on Aug. 13, 2023, but the offensive power wasn’t enough, ending in an 18-8 loss to the Asheville Tourists on Wednesday at McCormick Field in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Hot Rods (28-25) started the scoring in the top of the first inning against Asheville starter Derek True. Brayden Taylor led off with a double and scored on a Cermak triple. In the next at-bat, Colton Ledbetter drove in Cermak with a double, giving Bowling Green a 2-0 lead.

Seven runs came around to score for the Tourists in the bottom of the first inning against Hot Rods starter Yoniel Curet. John Garcia, Oliver Carillo and Luis Encarnacion all collected RBI hits, making it a 7-2 Tourist lead.

Asheville (23-28) added two more in the bottom of the fourth against Bowling Green reliever TJ Fondtain. Brice Matthews singled, and one out later, Austin Deming launched a two-run homer to make it 9-2.

Bowling Green responded with four runs in the top of the fifth against Asheville reliever Layne Henderson. Cermak had a one-out double and Ledbetter singled him in to make it 9-3. Hunter Haas singled to left, and on a throwing error by Luis Baez for Asheville, Ledbetter scored from first. Brock Jones stepped up and cleared the bases with a two-run blast to center, cutting into Asheville’s lead, 9-6.

The Tourists didn’t wait long to get back on the scoreboard, plating five runs in the bottom of the fifth. An error scored two, Matthews belted a homer, while Garcia drove in a run with a double and Ryan Johnson created the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, pushing the Asheville lead to 14-6.

Asheville scored another run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Hot Rods came back with two runs in the top of the seventh against Tourists reliever James Hicks. Jones singled with two outs and scored on a double from Ricardo Genovés. Ryan Spikes hit a ground ball to shortstop and a throwing error brought in Genovés, making it a 15-8 game.

Three more runs crossed home for Asheville the rest of the way, ending in a 18-8 Hot Rods loss.

Hicks (1-2) picked up his second win of the season, tossing four innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out three. Curet (2-7) was given the loss, surrendering seven runs on four hits and three walks while recording one out.

The Hot Rods and Tourists play the third game of a six-game series at McCormick Field on Thursday with a 5:35 p.m. CT first pitch. Bowling Green will send out right-hander Owen Wild (1-0, 4.22) against Asheville righty Jose Guedez (2-1, 3.13).