It was another loss in the final inning for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, who saw a late lead slip away in a 7-5 loss to Lansing (Mich.) on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

One out away from victory, Lansing scored three times with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to surge ahead and beat the Hot Rods for a second straight night. It was the third time in the last six games that Bowling Green (4-6) has lost in the opponent’s final at-bat.

“It was definitely a tough loss,” Bowling Green manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “We couldn’t finish the ninth inning. With two outs, they had two clutch hits and that’s how it is. If you don’t finish innings, you are going to pay for it.”

Bowling Green was able to rally from two early deficits, but couldn’t hold the momentum in the ninth.

Lansing (5-2) took a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer from Conner Panas in the top of the second, but Joe McCarthy’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning trimmed the deficit to one.

Michael Russell tied the score in the fifth with an RBI triple on a screaming liner that landed between two defenders in left center field.

The Lugnuts regained the lead in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Andrew Guillotte walked, stole two bases and came home on a wild pitch by Jose Alverado.

Bowling Green answered with a rally in the bottom of the inning to take its first lead of the night. Four straight batters reached with two outs, including a go-ahead, two-run single by David Rodriguez and an RBI single from Many Sanchez to make the score 5-3.

Lansing got a run back in the seventh on an RBI double by Guillotte and threatened for more with Guillotte at second and J.C. Cardenas on third with one out. BG got out of the inning thanks to a strong defensive play, as right fielder Sanchez fired a strike to home to get both runners hung up. Catcher Brett Sullivan threw to BG’s Jake Cronenworth to get Guillotte, but Cronenworth alertly caught Cardenas off the bag at third and ran all the way to the third base line to tag him out and end the inning.

The Lugnuts wouldn’t be denied in the ninth.

Lansing used a walk and a double to put runners at second and third with one out off reliever Reece Karalus. The right-hander struck out Cardenas for the second out, but Guillotte hit a two-run double to give Lansing the lead, and Gunnar Heidt followed with an RBI double off the wall in left that gave the Lugnuts some insurance.

The Hot Rods got two runners on with two outs in the ninth, but Cronenworth hit into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

“Offensively, we battled all game long,” Ruiz said. “We had a good rally after two outs (in the sixth). We took the lead, but unfortunately we couldn’t hold the lead with our bullpen.”

YEPEZ EXITS EARLY

Bowling Green starting pitcher Angel Yepez left with an apparent injury two pitches into the fourth inning.

“He felt tightness in his elbow and we took him out right away,” Ruiz said. “We want to keep him fresh and safe. We are not going to take any chances. When you feel something in your elbow, you don’t want to take any chances. Tomorrow we will see how he feels and the doctor is going to check him.”

UP NEXT

The series concludes at 4:05 p.m. Sunday. Left-hander Genesis Cabrera (0-0, 2.25) will start for the Hot Rods. Right-hander Sean Reid-Foley (1-0, 0.00), the No. 3 ranked prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system, is scheduled to start for the Lugnuts.

— Follow Bowling Green Hot Rods reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.