Hot Rods drop third straight decision to Grasshoppers, 4-3

Published 11:56 pm Friday, September 6, 2024

Mac Horvath blasted his 13th home run of the season, but it wasn’t enough for the Bowling Green Hot Rods as they suffered a 4-3 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday at First National Bank Field in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Hot Rods (73-52 overall, 39-22 second half) drove in the first run of the game in the top of the first inning against Grasshoppers starter Derek Diamond. Gregory Barrios led of the inning with a single and came around to score on an error by Greensboro shortstop Javier Rivas, handing Bowling Green a 1-0 lead.

Email newsletter signup

Greensboro (73-55, 34-29) responded in the bottom of the second inning against Bowling Green starter Owen Wild. With one out, Josiah Sightler walked and Jack Brannigan homered to give Greensboro its first lead, 2-1.

The lead changed again in the top of the third with Bowling Green scoring two more runs off Diamond. Homer Bush Jr. collected a one-out double and Horvath cleared the bases with a two-run blast, lifting the Hot Rod back into the lead, 3-2.

The Grasshoppers came charging back in the bottom of the sixth against Hot Rods reliever Derrick Edington. With two outs, Lonnie White Jr. singled to center and stole second base. Hudson Head made it back-to-back singles, scoring White to tie the game, 3-3. Sightler continued the scoring with an RBI double, pushing the Grasshoppers to a 4-3 advantage.

Both teams went scoreless the rest of the way, ending in a 4-3 Hot Rods loss. 

Garrett McMillan (1-0) picked up the win, tossing three perfect innings with one strikeout. Edington (3-1) was given the loss, throwing two innings, surrendering two runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Mike Walsh closed out the game with the save, hurling 1 1/3 innings while striking out two and allowing one hit and one walk.

The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers play the penultimate game of a six-game series on Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. CT first pitch at First National Bank Field. Bowling Green sends out right-hander Brody Hopkins (1-3, 4.26) against Greensboro lefty Michael Kennedy (0-0, 1.80).