Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder Colton Ledbetter (5) makes contact with the call Sunday, June 2, 2024 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Daily News Photo by Joe Imel/joe.imel@bgdailynews.com)

Colton Ledbetter homered twice, while Xavier Isaac and Cooper Kinney each collected one long ball to boost the Bowling Green Hot Rods to an 8-7 win over the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field on Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina.

Three runs came around to score in the top of the first inning for the Hot Rods (30-26) against Tourists starter Edinson Batista. Isaac worked a one-out walk, and one out later, Ryan Cermak was hit by a pitch. Ledbetter stepped up to the plate and blasted a three-run homer to right, making it a 3-0 Hot Rods lead.

Asheville (24-30) responded with two runs in the bottom of the first against Bowling Green starter Duncan Davitt. Brice Matthews led off the inning with a solo homer. Just one batter later, Austin Deming also homered, making it a 3-2 Hot Rods lead after one inning.

The Tourists tied the game in the bottom of the second with Davitt still on the mound. To lead off the inning, Ryan Johnson was hit by a pitch and stole second base. With two outs in the inning, Luis Baez singled to left, scoring Johnson, evening the game at 3-3.

The lead didn’t last long, as Isaac led off the top of the fourth with a solo shot to center, regaining the lead for Bowling Green, 4-3. 

The Hot Rods scored two runs in the top of the sixth against Tourists reliever Kelly Austin. Cermak was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Ledbetter crushed his second long ball of the night, lengthening Bowling Green’s lead to 6-3.

Two runs crossed home for the Tourists in the bottom of the sixth against Hot Rods reliever Sean Harney. Johnson led off with a single and advanced to third on a double from Anthony Sherwin. Brice Matthews beat out an infield single, scoring Johnson, cutting into the Hot Rods’ lead to 6-4. Baez lifted a sacrifice fly to center, trimming down Bowling Green’s lead to 6-5.

Kinney launched the fourth home run of the night for the Hot Rods in the top of the seventh, a two-run homer off Austin to make it an 8-5 lead.

Baez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, but Derrick Edington held on for his first career save, closing out an 8-7 win for the Hot Rods. 

The Hot Rods and Tourists will play the finale of a six-game series on Sunday with a 12:05 p.m. CT first pitch at McCormick Field. Bowling Green sends out right-hander Trevor Martin (4-2, 3.05) to the mound against lefty Trey Dombroski (2-6, 7.68).