Bowling Green Hot Rods shortstop Adrian Santana (8) bats in the Hot Rods’ 6-3 win over the Tourists at the Bowling Green Ballpark on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Hot Rods take the first two games of the series with game 3 Thursday night. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS

The Bowling Green Hot Rods fought back after falling behind by six runs, but the late offensive start wasn’t enough in a 7-4 loss to the Asheville Tourists in South Atlantic League action Saturday at McCormick Field in Asheville, North Carolina.

Asheville (34-39 overall, 5-3 second half) jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second inning against Bowling Green starting pitcher TJ Nichols. Will Bush swatted a solo homer to right, giving Asheville a 1-0 lead.

The Tourists extended their lead in the bottom of the third against Nichols. Alejandro Nunez led off the inning with a solo home run, and two outs later Bush launched his second homer of the night to make it 3-0.

Three additional runs scored for Asheville in the bottom of the fifth with Nichols still on the mound. Lucas Spence singled and Bush walked, putting runners on first and second. Kenni Gomez blasted a three-run homer to right, increasing the Asheville advantage to 6-0.

Bowling Green (39-33, 5-3) plated its first runs in the top of the sixth inning against Asheville reliever Alonzo Tredwell. Bryan Broecker singled and Adrian Santana doubled, scoring Broecker to make it 6-1. Emilien Pitre walked and Mac Horvath singled, and with an error in center by Gomez, both runners scored to bring the game to 6-3.

The Hot Rods brought in another run in the top of the seventh on a Santana sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 6-4.

Asheville plated the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Chase Jaworsky.

Tourists starting pitcher Bryce Mayer (3-2) earned the win, tossing five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven batters. Nichols (7-3) was given the loss, surrendering six runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out three. Asheville’s Cody Tucker picked up the save, pitching a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

The Hot Rods and Tourists play the finale of a six-game series on Sunday with a 12:05 p.m. CT first pitch at McCormick Field. Bowling Green will send out right-hander Marcus Johnson (3-5, 4.44) to the mound, with Asheville’s pitcher to be announced.