Hot Rods left fielder Brock Jones (7) slides safely past Hudson Valley short stop Jared Serna (3) into second base in the Hot Rods’ season opener 6-1 win against the Renegades at the Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday, April 5, 2024. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)

Brock Jones collected a three-hit performance behind two extra-base hits in the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ 6-4 loss to the Rome Emperors on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Rome (32-26) struck in the top of the first inning facing Hot Rods starter Roel Garcia lll. Sabin Ceballos walked and Ethan Workinger singled to put runners on second and first. Drew Compton singled, scoring Ceballos from second to give the Emperors a 1-0 lead.

The Emperors tacked on another run in the top of the second against Garcia. Nick Clarno blasted a solo home run to left, making it 2-0 Rome.

In the top of the third, the Emperors plated another run against Garcia. Compton slapped a solo home run to right, extending the Rome lead, 3-0.

Bowling Green (33-27) responded in the bottom of the fifth with Luis Vargas on the hill. Jones crushed a solo home run to center to cut the Rome lead, 3-1.

The Hot Rods cut into the deficit against Emperors reliever Elison Joseph. Jones doubled and came across to score on two wild pitches by Joseph, making it a 3-2 Emperors lead.

Workinger increased the Rome lead in the top of the eighth with a solo home run to left off Hot Rods reliever Drew Sommers that pushed the Emperors’ lead to 4-2.

Rome plated a pair of insurance runs on a Workinger single in the top of the ninth facing Sommers, making it 6-2 Emperors.

Bowling Green scored again in the bottom of the ninth against Rome reliever Samuel Strickland. Hunter Haas singled to lead off and was brought around on a Ryan Spikes two-run blast, making it 6-4 Rome. The Emperors retired Brayden Taylor, defeating the Hot Rods 6-4.

Vargas (2-0) picked up the victory after tossing 5 1/3 innings, surrendering one run on four hits, walking one and striking out six. Garcia (4-3) was handed the loss after 5 2/3 innings of work while surrendering three runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out five. Strickland earned the save after pitching an inning, where he allowed four hits and two runs while striking out three.

Bowling Green and Rome play game four of a six-game series on Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The Hot Rods start right-hander Duncan Davitt (5-3, 3.32), while the Emperors are set to start righty Lucas Braun (3-1, 4.33).