The offense found some life just in time for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, who used an eighth-inning rally to down Burlington (Iowa) 4-3 on Tuesday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

A night after going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Bees, Ford Proctor’s homer sparked a three-run eighth that allowed Bowling Green (18-14) to even the three-game series.

“It’s just one of those things,” Proctor said. “The team has been struggling a bit with the bats, but this team always does a good job of finding ways to win, which is why we are a great ballclub.”

Bowling Green still had trouble getting the offense going for most of the night, with an unearned run in the second the only dent in the scoring column through the first seven innings.

Burlington (19-13) answered the run with a two-out RBI double in the seventh to tie the score at 1-all, but Bowling Green was able to get back in front an inning later with Ford setting the tone – a no doubt solo homer to right center.

“I had a couple of poor at-bats beforehand, so I was just trying to clear my head and have fun,” Proctor said. “I was lucky enough to put a good swing on it.”

The Hot Rods added two more on Grant Witherspoon’s two-run triple to center past a diving Nonie Williams. Witherspoon was thrown out at home to end the inning trying to stretch the triple into an inside-the-park homer, but the Hot Rods still went to the ninth with a 4-1 advantage.

Witherspoon’s triple proved to be important as the Bees got a two-out, two-run homer from D.C. Arendas before Christofer Ogando got the final out to secure the win.

“I think that eighth inning was good, not only because we took the lead, but I think it was good for our spirit,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “It showed our team we could do it.”

Ogando earned the win in relief to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Witherspoon and Kaleo Johnson paced the offense with two hits each.

MOWING THEM DOWN

Bowling Green right-hander Joe Ryan continued his dominance at Bowling Green Ballpark with another superb outing Tuesday.

Ryan tossed six shutout innings, allowing two hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts – one off his career high and franchise record set by Ryan and four other pitchers.

In two home outings, Ryan has worked 11 innings, allowing one run on three hits with 23 strikeouts.

“He’s been pitching really well,” Ruiz said. “He’s giving us quality outings every time he goes out. He is doing a really good job and he is fun to watch. I think he got a little fastball happy tonight, but he did a really good job.”

SAMPEN HONORED

The Hot Rods announced Tuesday that Caleb Sampen was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5.

Sampen made one start at Peoria (Ill.) on Friday, allowing one hit over seven shutout innings. He is 2-1 this season with a 3.76 ERA over his five starts for the Hot Rods – holding opponents to a .181 batting average this season while recording 30 strikeouts over 26.1 innings of work.

Sampen is the 11th Hot Rod to earn Midwest League Pitcher of the Week Honors – the first since Resly Linares did so in 2018.

NOTES

Bowling Green improved to 15-7 against right-handed starters, 5-4 in one-run games. … Witherspoon has eight multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games this season. … Johnson has six multi-hit games this season.

UP NEXT

The series is scheduled to conclude at 10:35 a.m. Wednesday.