Hot Rods drop 5-3 decision at Hub City
Published 9:49 pm Tuesday, April 15, 2025
- Bowling Green Hot Rods infielder Émilien Pitre (7) bats during the Hot Rods 3-2 win over the Rome Braves on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Caleb Lowndes / Daily News)
Jackson Lancaster, Chandler Murphy, and Derrick Edington combined for five scoreless innings of relief, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods couldn’t find runs late, falling 5-3 to the Hub City Spartanburgers on Tuesday and Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The Hot Rods (5-5) jumpstarted the scoring in the top of the first inning against Spartanburgers starting pitcher Leandro Lopez. Adrian Santana led off with a walk and stole second. He advanced to third on an Emilien Pitre single. Pitre stole second, and both runners scored on a Tony Santa Maria double, giving the Hot Rods a 2-0 lead. Daniel Vellojin added another run with an RBI base hit, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Hub City (6-4) responded in the bottom of the first against Bowling Green starter TJ Nichols. Dylan Dreiling lifted a solo homer to right, cutting into the Bowling Green lead to 3-1. Anthony Gutierrez singled, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error from Vellojin, making it a 3-2 game.
The Spartanburgers added to their score in the bottom of the second with Nichols still on the mound. Quincy Scott worked a one-out walk and came in to score on a Danyer Cueva RBI double, tying the game, 3-3.
In the bottom of the third, Hub City jumped out to a 5-3 lead on a Malcolm Moore two-run homer.
Both bullpens held the game scoreless for the rest of the game, ending in a 5-3 Spartanburgers win.
Hub City’s Joey Danielson (1-0) earned his first win of the season, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out three. Nichols (0-1) was given the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out five. The Spartanburgers’ Seth Clark picked up his second save of the season over two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit.
The Hot Rods and Spartanburgers play the second game of a six-game series on Wednesday with a 5:35 p.m. CT first pitch at Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg. Bowling Green will send out right-hander Marcus Johnson (0-2, 8.00) against Hub City lefty Josh Trentadue (0-0, 0.00).
