TJ Nichols tied his career high with eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings as the Bowling Green Hot Rods dropped the penultimate game of the series, 3-0, to the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Nichols nabbed the start for Bowling Green (9-11), hurling 5.0 shutout frames while striking out a Hot Rods season-best eight hitters and walking none. Grasshoppers starter Hung-Leng Chang went five innings, allowed just one hit, struck out nine and walked none.

Duce Gourson gave Greensboro (15-5) the lead in the sixth inning on a go-ahead solo shot off reliever TJ Fondtain, putting the visitors ahead, 1-0.

The Grasshoppers added on in the eighth. Facing Adam Boucher, pinch-hitter P.J. Hilson singled and Shalin Polanco tripled to extend the Grasshoppers’ lead to 2-0. Lonnie White Jr. followed with an RBI double to push Greensboro’s lead to 3-0.

Bowling Green failed to score the rest of the way, ending in a 3-0 Greensboro victory.

Fondtain (0-1) took the loss, going two innings and striking out three while allowing one run on two hits. Julian Bosnic (1-1) earned the win, tossing 1 2/3 hitless innings, striking out one and walking a pair. The Grasshoppers’ Franck De La Rosa earned his second save of both the series and season, pitching around two walks and striking out one over 1.0 scoreless frame.

Bowling Green and Greensboro play the finale of a six-game series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The Hot Rods will send out right-hander Marcus Johnson (0-2, 7.20 ERA) against Greensboro righty Antwone Kelly (0-0, 3.60 ERA).