Colton Ledbetter crushed one of five homers hit by the Bowling Green Hot Rods (8-4, 44-34) in a 7-0 shutout win over the Rome Emperors (5-8, 41-36) on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green scored in the bottom of the second facing Rome starter Cory Wall. Cooper Kinney laced a solo home run to right, putting the Hot Rods up 1-0. Ryan Cermak walked, moved to second on a fielding error, and to third on a sacrifice fly by Ricardo Genoves. A wild pitch from Wall allowed Cermak to score and make it 2-0.

The Hot Rods added onto their lead in the bottom of the third with Wall still on the hill. Brayden Taylor crushed a solo home run to right, extending the Bowling Green lead 3-0.

Genoves clobbered a solo shot to left off Wall in the bottom of the fourth, increasing the lead, 4-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Hot Rods scored again with Emperors reliever Tyree Thompson on the mound. Xavier Issac hit a solo home run to left, moving the score, 5-0. Kinney doubled and Colton Ledbetter smacked a two-run homer to right, making it 7-0 Bowling Green.

Hot Rods reliever Nate Dahle completed the last two innings scoreless, finalizing the game, 7-0.

Hot Rods starter Yoniel Curet (4-7) earned the victory after tossing five shutout innings, surrendered two hits and walking two while striking out seven. Wall (2-2) received the loss after four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Bowling Green and Rome were scheduled to resume the series on Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark. Bowling Green sends out RHP Owen Wild (2-1, 3.00), while RHP Blake Burkhalter (0-1, 2.40) gets the start for the Emperors.