Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder Aidan Smith (23) bats during the Hot Rods 6-2 loss to Asheville on Sunday, May18, 2025 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Caleb Lowndes / Bowling Green Daily News)

Daniel Vellojin, Emilien Pitre and Aidan Smith all hit home runs, powering the Bowling Green Hot Rods to a 9-6 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Saturday at First National Bank Field in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Bowling Green (27-22) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning against Greensboro Starter Connor Wietgrefe. Adrian Santana led off with a single and Smith walked. Pitre hit into a fielder’s choice, putting runners at the corners. Mac Horvath grounded out, scoring Santana to give Bowling Green a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Rods offense exploded in the top of the second with Wietgrefe still on the mound. Ryan Cermak led off the inning with a walk and Vellojin launched a two-run homer. Two outs later, Santana and Smith kept the offense rolling with base hits. Pitre clobbered a three-run homer to right, putting the Hot Rods on top, 6-0.

Greensboro (33-16) plated its first run in the bottom of the second inning against Bowling Green starter Gary Gill Hill. With two outs, Duce Gourson doubled, and PJ Hilson drove him in with a base hit, making it a 6-1 game.

The Grasshoppers added on two more against Gill Hill in the bottom of the fourth. Gourson collected a one-out single, and Geovanny Planchart cleared the bases with a two-run homer, making it a 6-3 game.

Greensboro scored again in the fifth on a two-run homer from Omar Alfonso, making it a one-run game, 6-5.

Bowling Green responded in the top of the sixth inning against Greensboro reliever JP Massey. Raudelis Martinez walked, Santana reached on a fielder’s choice, and Smith crushed a three-run homer, improving Bowling Green’s lead to 9-5.

The Grasshoppers plated a run on an RBI single from Jesus Castillo in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the score to 9-6.

The final three innings were scoreless on both sides, with the Hot Rods getting two scoreless innings from Jonalbert Rumbol, locking up a 9-6 Bowling Green win.

Gill Hill (2-4) picked up his second win of the season, going five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one. Wietgrefe (0-2) was given the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. Rumbol earned his first save of the season, pitching two scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out two.

The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers play the finale of the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. CT first pitch at First National Bank Park. Bowling Green will send out right-hander Hayden Snelsire (2-0, 1.72) against Greensboro righty Hung Leng Cheng (2-2, 6.31).