Bowling Green Hot Rods center fielder Colton Ledbetter (5) bats in the Hot Rods’ 5-4 win over the Winston-Salem Dash at the Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)

Colton Ledbetter clobbered his 15th homer of the season, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods fell to the Hickory Crawdads 8-4 on Wednesday at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina.

The Crawdads (54-62 overall, 26-24 second half) scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning against Hot Rods starter Brody Hopkins. The inning was highlighted by a two-RBI single from Arturo Disla.

Bowling Green (67-46, 31-16) answered back with a run off Hickory starter Paul Bonzagni in the top of the fourth. Brock Jones doubled and moved to third on a fielding error. A wild pitch from Bonzagni scored Jones to make it 3-1.

After the Crawdads plated a run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth, the Hot Rods responded with two runs in the top of the sixth. Ledbetter and Mac Horvath singled, while Jones was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A fielding and throwing error from second baseman Danyer Cueva let Ledbetter and Horvath score to move the score, 5-3.

Hickory opened it up in the bottom of the sixth against Bowling Green reliever Dylan Lesko. The Crawdads scored three runs off four walks and three wild pitches to make it 8-3.

Ledbetter socked a solo blast against Crawdads reliever Josh Mollerus in the top of the seventh, but Bowling Green went scoreless the rest of the way to lose 8-4.

Bonzagni (2-0) earned the win, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits, a walk, and five strikeouts over six innings. Hopkins (1-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts over 3 2/3 frames.

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play game three of a six-game series on Thursday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. CT. Bowling Green starts right-hander Ty Johnson (1-3, 2.63), while Hickory rolls out righty Alejandro Rosario (1-1, 2.93).